The Line Between Love and Hate
by Aozame32
Summary: He was a good leader who developed strong ties with all of his clan members, but what of the one who became his enemy? A Yoshimitsu vs Kunimitsu story, or is it a Yoshimitsu/Kunimitsu story? Find out!
1. Chapter 1: It Will Never Be Over

Disclaimer: Needless to say, I do not own Tekken or any of the Tekken characters. Some very, very rich person far, far away owns them… Lucky chum.

Author's note: This is my first fanfic ever, so any reviews are welcome. As for the time setting, this story takes place sometime after Tekken 3.

Chapter One: It Will Never Be Over

The moonlight gleamed off of the reflective surfaces of the buildings in the business district. The din of the cars zooming by far below filled the air and the streets looked like rivers of light. The abnormal peace of a fast city night was suddenly broken by the sharp clashes of steel-on-steel as two dark figures furiously battled on the roof of a tall business building.

"Haaaaa!" screamed Kunimitsu, as she preformed a trio of back-flips to avoid coming in contact with the deadly sword that was being swung around with a sense of great speed and control. The wielder of the attacking sword was none other than Yoshimitsu.

When Kunimitsu regained her footing, she found herself balancing on the back of a stone gargoyle that was reaching out over the edge of the rooftop. Kunimitsu was familiar enough with Yoshimitsu's ways to know that he would never attack her when she was at risk of falling to her death. Just as Kunimitsu had predicted, Yoshimitsu, instead of charging at her, lowered his weapon and tried to persuade her to safety.

"Kunimitsu!" he shouted over the roar of the cars, "Let us end this useless fighting. Do not do anything you'll regret. Please!" He reached his free hand out to her. "Surrender and I will help you."

'Fool,' thought Kunimitsu, 'I have no intention of surrendering.'

As she prepared to attack, a burst of darkness suddenly appeared behind her. Yoshimitsu was shocked at the sight, but he was even more surprised to see that Kunimitsu hadn't even noticed it. She seemed completely oblivious to the silent swirl of darkness that continued to blossom behind her. Without warning, out of the darkness emerged what looked like a horned demon. He was tall, with glowing red eyes and dark, purplish skin. His expression sent a slight chill down Yoshimitsu's spine, and the Manji Clan leader was certain that what he was looking at was a most malevolent Devil. The Devil let out bellowing laughter as his bright eyes continued to stare straight at Yoshimitsu.

"She cannot escape," began the Devil in a low, Earth-shaking voice, "from the hatred in her heart! You cannot save her!" The Devil punched through the stone gargoyle that the unaware Kunimitsu was balancing on, shattering it to pieces before disappearing into the dark shadow he had emerged from. Kunimitsu, now helpless, began to fall backwards along with the stone shards of the gargoyle.

Yoshimitsu ran to try to save his former clan member, but his motions became sluggish, as if he were moving in slow motion. He strained to reach for Kunimitsu's hand, but was too late. Then the whole world seemed to come crashing down as Yoshimitsu awoke from the nightmare.

"Kunimitsu!" he screamed, sitting up as he reached out for her. He sat still for a few seconds as his eyes focused to the darkness of his room, which the night had made to look unfamiliar. Yoshimitsu's eyes then went to his still-outstretched hand to see that he was shaking in a cold sweat. Feeling the false sense of realism from the nightmare being to fade away, he fell back onto his sleeping mat and stared up at the ceiling.

"That same dream again," Yoshimitsu said out loud, "She could not escape from the hatred that was in her heart, and it eventually consumed her…"

Yoshimitsu had been told that his cybernetic surgery had resulted in success, and for a long while, everything seemed to be going fine and he was well on his way to a full recovery. However, only months after Yoshimitsu had undergone his cybernetic transformation, had began to be haunted by the same recurring nightmare.

As Yoshimitsu continued to dwell on his dream, his thoughts shifted to Kunimitsu's possible whereabouts. She had been banished years ago, and the last time Yoshimitsu had seen her, she was a contestant in the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2, which took place almost 20 years ago. As he laid there, shifting slightly under the coarse blankets, he tried to think about what he would say to Kunimitsu if she did in fact return. The very thought of facing her, with all of her hatred and resentment, caused Yoshimitsu's brows to furrow and he simply turned over in his bed, trying to push the idea out of his mind. He could feel his body relax as sleep began to crawl over him, and the memories of Kunimitsu and their past together faded into the night.

* * *

The sunlight crept through the paper windows and the calls of birds echoed from outside as Dr. Bosconovich slowly walked down the hallway, causing the wooden floorboards to creak under his brown lab shoes. When he reached the door to Yoshimitsu's room, he softly rapped his knuckles on the wooden frame before slowly sliding the door open.

He found Yoshimitsu sitting in the middle of his sparse room. Quiet prayers could be heard emanating from the masked warrior as he meditated and chanted with his low, robotic voice. Not wanting to disturb his friend, Dr. Bosconovich began to slide the door shut, but stopped upon seeing Yoshimitsu rise to his feet and turn to face the elderly scientist.

"Are you alright?" asked the doctor in his old, warm voice, "I was told that you cried out in your sleep again."

At hearing this, Yoshimitsu let out a deep sigh and turned his attention to the blank wall.

"I had that same dream again. It's coming more frequently now, and I do not know what to make of it."

"At first," began Dr. Bosconovich, "I thought it was merely the effects the cybernetic transition had on you mind, and that it would go away eventually. But now… It must mean something."

Yoshimitsu merely nodded in reply and followed Dr. Bosconovich outside. With each step he took, his armor clanked and shifted about, almost as a signal of his arrival into each new room and hallway of the sprawling complex. When they were finally outside, the sounds of the armor were overtaken by the clamor of the Manji Clan base. There were people in every direction, and any unfamiliar spectator could easily mistake the bustle for a cluster of confusion. Sick people waited to be inspected and treated for their illnesses while women and children stood in long lines to receive their rations of food and water. At that moment, a storage truck pulled up and members of the Manji Clan began unloading supplies.

Upon seeing the physical product of his organization's moral purpose, Yoshimitsu quickly set aside any concern brought about from his nightmare and was just about to go to work overseeing each station when he heard a small voice call out to him.

"Mr. Yoshimitsu!" cheerfully shouted a young boy standing in line to be treated. The boy's name was Hakujitsu, and it suited him well. He seemed to light up a room whenever he smiled, and his never-ending enthusiasm consistently improved Yoshimitsu's mood. Hakujitsu broke into a run, giving up his place in line for a chance to talk to his hero.

"Good morning, Hakujitsu," greeted the Manji Clan leader as he tousled the boy's dark hair.

"Mr. Yoshimitsu" began Hakujitsu, seemingly excited, "The truck came with more food! Did you see? Now everyone can eat more instead of splitting everything in half."

Hakujitsu's words, as optimistic as they were, brought Yoshimitsu back to harsh reality. Supplies were extremely low, even with the arrival of the latest truck. Yoshimitsu was just glad to see that the unfavorable circumstances had not dampened Hakujitsu's spirit.

"Hakujitsu," began Dr. Bosconovich, "Where is your sister? I need to talk to her."

"Oh! She's still in the Southern Sector! I'll take you to her!" Hakujitsu snatched Dr. Bosconovich by the sleeve of his lab coat and proceeded to pull him in the direction of the Southern Sector, which housed the buildings where all the women and girls lived.

"Yoshimitsu," the doctor desperately called back, "Hiroyuki wanted to speak to you! He said it was very important!" The doctor then disappeared into the crowd of people.

Hiroyuki was a younger ninja who had been with the Manji Clan for well over half of his lifetime. His keen instincts and natural ability in stealth were nearly unparalleled, and so he fit well into the position of Yoshimitsu's right-hand man. Hiroyuki was also known for his great skill with throwing knives, seeming to control each small blade with unearthly precision and speed.

Yoshimitsu knew that Hiroyuki would be waiting for him in their conference room, which was where Yoshimitsu would often meet with foreign philanthropists and humanitarian aid workers. He wasted no time in heading back inside the central complex of the Manji Clan's mountain base, opting to cut through the expansive grounds as opposed to walking around to the opposite side. Besides, Yoshimitsu enjoyed quietly making his way though the winding hallways of the ancient structure, his home.

When Yoshimitsu finally arrived at the conference room, he found that Hiroyuki was already seated patiently at a long, low table. Hiroyuki, like many of the other Manji Clan members, was wearing plain ninja garb, complete with head scarf and mask. Only his throwing knives seemed to stick out of a crowd, shining in the faintest of light like glinting stars. Yoshimitsu quickly sat down at the head of the table, with Hiroyuki on his right side. Hiroyuki bowed to his leader and friend, and Yoshimitsu bowed back in reply.

"Master," began Hiroyuki, in an urgent voice, "Do you, if I may ask, remember the Black Pheasant Syndicate?" Yoshimitsu nodded, thinking back to what he could recall of the Black Pheasant Syndicate.

The Black Pheasants had once been one of the most powerful gangs in Japan, known for running prostitution, drug smuggling, and all sorts of foul crimes. Many people lost everything to the Black Pheasant Syndicate. When the Manji Clan got wind that some of the poor people living in the nearby slums had fallen victim to the Black Pheasants, they immediately set up plans to do what they do best: steal. The job was fairly easy, and the people were overjoyed when the Manji came to them with their once lost money.

Yoshimitsu remembered that their campaign against the Black Pheasants occurred when Kunimitsu was still a member of the Manji Clan, before he had forced her to flee. Had it really been that long ago?

"Well, Master," continued Hiroyuki, pondering about Yoshimitsu's silence, "They remember us as well. I have been informed that they are still holding a grudge against us." Hiroyuki smirked. "They want their money back, and they say that if we don't comply, they warn that we will pay dearly for it. Obviously they believe that they have been wronged and want their revenge."

"The Manji Clan merely relieved them of the burden of carrying jaded money," said Yoshimitsu matter-of-factly, "We will not bestow to them what had never been theirs to begin with, yet I do not wish for a violent conflict. What say you, my friend?"

"It is very important," Hiroyuki answered with a stern voice, "that they do not find this place. If they do, our whole operation could be put at jeopardy, and innocent people could be hurt. We should take the fight elsewhere, if it comes to that."

"I agree," replied Yoshimitsu. He was grateful for Hiroyuki's wisdom, despite his age. "We shall hold a clan meeting at the temple in the forest tonight, so that we all may discuss the issue."

"As you wish," answered Hiroyuki, bowing in reply. He found solace in Yoshimitsu's confident words, preferring not to allow this new threat to distract him from his duties.

Yoshimitsu and Hiroyuki then rose and bowed to each other a final time, signaling the end of the meeting. The two of them then made their way out of the room and reemerged outside amongst the many refugees and aid stations, knowing full well that they had work to do. Yoshimitsu glanced up into the sky to see that the sun, with all of its burning glory, was already in its midday position. He had a long day ahead of him.

* * *

Yoshimitsu was standing in the open grounds of the forest temple. The forest temple, like many other buildings surrounding the Manji Clan complex, had been standing for hundreds of years. It was almost impossible to reach due to all the thick bramble and fallen logs of the labyrinthine forest. The only way to get there was to find the old path that had been laid down by monks of the ancient world. After that, it was a "walk in the park."

He had come an hour before the meeting was scheduled. Taking advantage of this rarity of solitude, Yoshimitsu gazed about at his surroundings. The burning torches flickered and made soft crackling sounds. The wind flew through the surrounding trees, causing the leaves to create a symphony of sound, and the moon cast a soft glow on everything its beams of light could touch. From all of that, Yoshimitsu suddenly picked out a very soft, yet distinct sound: the quick pitter-patter of cautious footsteps.

'It's coming from the roof,' thought Yoshimitsu. His eyes worked their way up to the roof of the temple, and his expert eyes quickly scanned the glowing outline on the green tiles. As Yoshimitsu continued scanned the roof's horizon, his sight stopped abruptly and he focused in on a distorted shape in the temples otherwise smoothly curved roof. He took a step closer and his cybernetic sight zoomed in on the shape, which revealed itself to be the figure of a person hunched over on the top of the temple. Yoshimitsu could then pick out the definite shape of two pointed ears as the figure rose, knowing very well that she had been discovered.

All kinds of shocked thoughts went zooming through Yoshimitsu's mind. He took a few steps back but didn't tear his gaze away for a second. The dark figure rose into a full silhouette, and as it rose, a quick gleam of moonlight was reflected off the shining surface of a long dagger. With that, Yoshimitsu was now certain the intruder's identity.

Kunimitsu stepped forward, revealing herself more clearly in the moonlight. The gust of wind blew her hair over her right shoulder as she slowly leaned forward before bolting into a sprint down the roof of the temple, her dagger bared. Kunimitsu then made the dangerous leap off of the temple roof, and Yoshimitsu drew his sword quickly, preparing for the inevitable onslaught.

Kunimitsu stopped right in front of Yoshimitsu, her slender legs bending expertly to disperse the shock of her landing, and she immediately began executing numerous attacks while shouting out in a gruffly feminine voice. Kunimitsu's slashes were so fast that they were almost invisible. However, Yoshimitsu's skill- not to mention his cybernetic eyes- allowed him to block every single attack with his sword. Each clanking sound signaled a blocked attack, and there were many of them. This caused Kunimitsu to become frustrated, and in her temporary lapse, Yoshimitsu caught one last attack and pushed her back.

"Kunimitsu! Why have you returned?" asked Yoshimitsu in a demanding voice. It was all he could seem to say, and he couldn't help but remember how he had often wondered what words he would choose to present to Kunimitsu if she had ever returned. The fact of the matter, however, was that Kunimitsu had returned, and it didn't really matter what he said to her. She wasn't here to talk to him.

Kunimitsu replied with a shout and lunged at Yoshimitsu, who dodged the attack with a back flip, leaving Kunimitsu to charge again with frustration and attack him using a horizontal slash. Yoshimitsu performed a quick backbend and came back up with an upward slash, which Kunimitsu dodged by spinning to the side. The two fighters then went through a chain of attacks, dodges, and parries until Kunimitsu surprised Yoshimitsu with a swift kick to the side. Yoshimitsu buckled under the brute force and fell backwards. Kunimitsu seized the opportunity and came upon him with her dagger at his throat. She reveled in seeing him, the object of her hatred, so vulnerably stunned and sprawled out underneath her. Kunimitsu, anxious for victory was just about to finish him off before hesitating just in time to notice that Yoshimitsu had also held his sword at her own throat.

They had reached a deadly stalemate. An uncomfortable silence loomed around them, and all they could hear was each other's staggered breaths. Just then, the sound of the Manji Clan making their way through the path reached their alert ears. Kunimitsu could feel her body begin to succumb to panic as her heart began to race. She kept shooting quick glances towards the source of the sound- the opening in the forest wall where the path reached the clearing- and then back to Yoshimitsu.

'Kill him!' screamed a voice inside of her, 'Kill him now! Take his wretched life before it's too late!'

'What if I were killed as well?' Kunimitsu thought, knowing very well that if she didn't act fast, she'd have to face the entire Manji Clan.

Yoshimitsu, tense from their battle, could sense Kunimitsu's self-conflict in her hesitation. Already he was beginning to doubt her resolve, and he knew it was now or never.

"Kunimitsu, please, listen. You don't-"

"This is not over!" Kunimitsu suddenly interrupted in a shout, her teeth clenched in anger, "It will never be over!"

"Master!" cried out Hiroyuki as he and the rest of the Manji Clan came upon the sight. He quickly took up one of his throwing knives in his expert hand and hurled it at Kunimitsu. Kunimitsu, however, was too quick for Hiroyuki. She swept a lithe arm up and seemed to disappear in its wake, leaving behind a faint plume of smoke. The knife flew past its target point and embedded itself straight into the trunk of a tree.

The rest of the Manji Clan rushed to attend to Yoshimitsu, who climbed to his feet and turned to face them. The Manji Clan's collective voices echoed questions of concern as they knelt before their leader. They eyes were all on him, awaiting his instructions.

"You two," began Hiroyuki, addressing the two closest Manji ninja, "Spread out and find her! She can't be too far." As the two young clan members leapt to their feet and took off, Hiroyuki rushed to Yoshimitsu's side.

"Who was that, Master?" asked Hiroyuki, his voice laden with distress.

"She is back…" Yoshimitsu replied calmly, almost with disbelief of his own words, "Kunimitsu has returned to kill me."

* * *

Author's Note: So anyway, that's chapter one. I've found that Yoshimitsu is one of the hardest Tekken characters to write about as a main protagonist, since so little is known about him. Kunimitsu disappeared from the games quite suddenly, so I thought it would be interesting to write a fanfic about what would happen if she ever came back. Keep in mind that this is my first work of fanfiction, so any reviews or constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2: It'll Be Me

Reply to Reviews:

To KNC: Thank you so much for such an encouraging review! It felt good to get my first ever review and discover that there was someone out there who liked Chapter 1. Thank you so much!

Author's Note: So sorry it took me so long to update! This next chapter deals with mature content, but it's nothing appalling or anything. (It's the reason why this fanfic is rated M…) It's a bit longer than the first chapter, but I'm sure it's nothing you can't handle! Well, here's Chapter 2. Enjoy!

Chapter Two: It'll Be Me

"Damn it!" screamed Kunimitsu, in frustration, "He was right there! Damn those pathetic Manji!" She kicked a stone out of her way as she walked down an ally located behind a row of houses in the suburbs of the city. The sun had yet to rise, so virtually no one was out.

'Next time,' assured a dark voice that was far from comforting, 'Next time, you shall have your revenge.'

Kunimitsu stopped walking. She had been haunted by the strange voice ever since she had sworn her revenge. It would sometimes scare her, but she would occasionally converse with it.

"What do you want!" she demanded. The voice did not respond. Suddenly, Kunimitsu heard the sound of a front door opening. She instinctively held her dagger in a defensive position. Seeing that there was no danger, she calmed down and looked up at the sky. The sun would rise soon, and she could see the stars leftover from the night before become dim and faint.

'I better leave so that I'm not seen,' she thought.

Kunimitsu then let out a small, rare laugh.

"Ha! That would go well over the breakfast table," she mused, "Good morning honey. Oh, by the way. While I was getting the paper, I saw a masked woman carrying a dagger walk down the ally behind our house. Can you pass the syrup?"

Although she did not know it, Kunimitsu loved moments like these. They were moments where she didn't have to sneak around corners, constantly move as to not be killed, or explain to Aikuchi why she needed more time to pay off the money she had borrowed. These were moments where she could just be herself and marvel at the colors of the sky.

"I don't believe it!" exclaimed Dr. Bosconovich, "What did she say?" Yoshimitsu and Dr. Bosconovich were sitting at a table, in the lab, in the basement of Dr. Bosconovich's house.

"She warned me… that it would never be over." Yoshimitsu spoke in a soft voice. He was still a bit shocked about the whole thing. Dr. Bosconovich could sense Yoshimitsu uneasiness, so he decided to leave him to plan about what to do next. He got up and walked to the door, but before he opened it, he turned around to ask Yoshimitsu a question.

"Yoshimitsu, do you feel like you can eat anything?" asked Dr. Bosconovich.

Yoshimitsu slowly looked up at the doctor and shook his head. Dr. Bosconovich let out a deep and heavy sigh. He was concerned because Yoshimitsu seemed to have lost his appetite ever since the operation and would only eat about 900 calories every day. It frightened Dr. Bosconovich into thinking that the operation might have gone wrong. Yoshimitsu knew this and would always assure the doctor that he was fine and there had been no mistakes made.

"Some tea would be appreciated," Yoshimitsu said, to try to cheer the doctor up. Dr. Bosconivich smiled, nodded, and left the lab. Yoshimitsu's thoughts then turned to Kunimitsu.

"It was really her," he said out loud, "She was filled with so much rage and hate. My dream… Maybe I could find a way… a way to save her." The words felt strange in his mouth.

'Save her!' Yoshimitsu thought, 'Kunimitsu wants to kill me. Years ago I would have eagerly fought her to the death, but now…'

"There has to be a way!" he declared, "There is still good in her heart, I know it!"

Suddenly Yoshimitsu felt very strange. It was a feeling that was hard for him to explain: an almost fluttery feeling, like a wind-swept fire. He set the feeling aside and began to reflect on the night fight.

All these years, Yoshimitsu had worried about her. He had made a personal promise that if she would ever come back, he would try to set things right and show her a better way to live. He supposed it came from his years of taking care of other people. He had never truly thought that she would come back, but now she really had. Yoshimitsu wasn't quite sure if he could ever really make good on his promise.

"Would you just leave me alone!" shouted Kanzashi.

Kanzashi, Hakujitsu's older sister, was a teenage girl who had been through a lot. When their parents died, Kanzashi had to sadly resort to prostitution to keep her and her little brother alive. Yoshimitsu detested such actions and felt sorry for her, which made her angry. Dr. Bosconovich was constantly trying to talk her into getting a blood test for any diseases, which only made her angrier.

"But it would be for your own good!" said Dr. Bosconovich.

"I know what's for my own good! I'm fine!" she responded with annoyance in her voice. She stormed away through the crowd in anger, leaving the doctor puzzled.

"Why is she so stubborn about it?" the doctor asked Yoshimitsu, who was standing beside him.

"Perhaps, she is afraid," answered Yoshimitsu, "Some people wouldn't like to know how long they have left to live, for if they did, they would spend what's left of their life in fear."

"Yoshimitsu," began Dr. Bosconovich, "You know her better than I do. Can you talk to her about it?" Yoshimitsu nodded and began following Kanzashi to the Southern Building.

Kanzashi glanced back and saw that she was being followed. She proceeded through the crowd of people, hoping to lose him. She started to walk a little faster, but Yoshimitsu matched her pace. She then broke into a run and darted between the refugees and Manji who were unloading another truck.

When Kanzashi was sure that she had lost him, she turned around the corner of a building. To her surprise, she bumped into Yohimitsu, who was waiting on the other side.

"You know better than to try to lose a Manji ninja," Yoshimitsu said in the most playful voice he could manage. Realizing that she had been defeated, Kanzashi turned red with frustration.

"What do you want?" Kanzashi asked the question as if it brought her pain. She began walking through the Southern Sector while Yoshimitsu strolled next to with his hands behind his back.

"Why do you speak with such annoyance?" asked Yoshimitsu, ignoring her question.

"Because I hate babysitters, that's why!" she retorted.

"Pardon?" Yoshimitsu asked, with authentic confusion.

"You heard me! Why are you following me! I'm not gonna go through with that stupid blood test. Maybe all the other girls will listen to you Manji, but I won't. That test won't tell me anything that I need to know, and my brother doesn't need to know anything about it either. He never did before! It would only make him sad."

Yoshimitsu shook his head, sighed, and asked her, "Why must you dislike me so much?"

"Because you're always acting like an over-protective dad or something!" replied Kanzashi, "I mean… I appreciate you taking care of Hakujitsu and me, but I'm not a kid."

"But you are only 17," said Yoshimitsu.

"So! That doesn't mean I don't know what I'm doing! If I could live alone and take care of both me and my brother for almost a year, I certainly can manage without you and Grandpa Bosconovich telling me what to do."

Yoshimitsu laughed when he heard Kanzashi's nickname for Dr. Bosconovich. Kanzashi proceeded to the Southern Sector, but Yoshimitsu had given up convincing her of the test and merely stood in place.

"Besides," Kanzashi continued, in a quieter voice, "Harper said that _he_ would take care of me…"

"Kanzashi," began Yoshimitsu, "I would not put a lot of faith in that boy, that Harper. He will only lead you to more trouble and he couldn't possibly be very faithful-"

"Don't say that!" suddenly shouted Kanzashi, with more anger. She had grown affectionate for Harper, a young man who had told her countless times that, as soon as he got a job, he would take care of her and Hakujitsu. It wasn't that he didn't like Harper, but Yoshimitsu didn't think that Harper was responsible enough to even take care of himself, let alone two others.

Harper had come to the Manji Clan recently, along with other refugees from Russia. The boy was a foreigner who had moved to Eastern Russia to help his family, but that apparently didn't last very long.

"I did not mean to offend you in anyway," assured Yoshimitsu. Kanzashi, who had again become frustrated with Yoshimitsu's "fatherly instincts," turned around and started marching to the Southern Building.

"What do you know about love, anyway! You… you… you emotionless robot!" she shouted back.

Yoshimitsu shook his head and started heading back to the Main Buliding. Kanzashi knew that, despite Yoshimitsu's mechanical arm and cybernetic implants, he was still human. She would commonly use the term "robot" when she didn't have anything left to say in their frequent arguments about Harper, but it would sometimes leave Yoshimitsu thinking: 'Have I truly lost my human emotions?'

As Yoshimitsu neared the Main Building, he heard someone call out his name.

"Yoshimitsu!" shouted one of the Manji ninja. Yoshimitsu hurried to the front entrance. As he reached the steps, he saw the ninja pulling a captive down the steps. The captive was a mean-looking man dressed in a business suit, while his captor was dressed in sleek stealth clothing with a mask. "Master," continued the ninja, "I found this loathsome wretch sneaking around! He said he is here to bring you a message! Should I kill him!" Yoshimitsu shook his head and took a step forward to the man.

"Why have you come?" asked Yoshimitsu in a stern voice.

"I'm here bearing a message from the leader of the Black Pheasant Syndicate! Now tell this bastard to let me go!" replied the messenger.

"You disrespectful swine!" roared the ninja, "How dare you shout an order to my Master!" The ninja was about to kick the messenger's back in, but Yoshimitsu raised his hand.

"Kitsune, you can let him go now, thank you," Yoshimitsu said to the ninja. Kitsune obeyed and pushed the messenger forward.

"Why you little-" began the messenger, but he stopped as he looked back the ninja. Kitsune had taken off the mask to reveal the face of a young woman with long black hair and piercing eyes. She looked down at the messenger with rage.

"What does your leader ask of me?" asked Yoshimitsu, to bring the messenger's attention away from Kitsune.

"My master, Dokuja, request that you come to our headquarters to discuss the… negotiations."

"When?"

"As soon as possible."

"We shall see... Now leave this place before Kitsune decides to make you leave!" ordered Yoshimitsu. The messenger stood up and quickly left the Manji Complex.

"Master," began Hiroyuki, who had been watching at the side, "Do you really plan to go to the Black Pheasants? If so, I beg of you to allow Kitsune and me to accompany you."

"No," answered Yoshimitsu, "I appreciate your concern, but I sense no danger. The Black Pheasants won't attack this soon. I will leave immediately."

Kitsune walked up to Yoshimitsu's side and, crossing her arms, leaned close to him, "Master, that messenger knows the location of this place now. We can't afford that."

Yoshimitsu sighed and nodded. There was no getting around it. As much as he disliked taking the lives of others, it had to be done.

Kitsune nodded and, drawing her small sword, followed the messenger into the forest.

"Send him in," ordered a very important looking woman who was sitting at a desk in an office on the top floor of the Black Pheasant Headquarters Building. The two large doors slid open and Yoshimitsu was shown into the room. As he walked up to the desk, the woman stood up and the two leaders bowed in recognition.

"Please, sit," she asked him with a deceitful smile as she gestured towards one of the chairs in front of the desk, "My name is Dokuja. I am the leader of the Black Pheasant Syndicate. How have you been? My father has told me so much about you!" Yoshimitsu sat down slowly with unease.

'Something's not right,' thought Yoshimitsu, 'This woman is being too polite. I will be cautious. She is trying to trick me.'

The woman opened a desk drawer and pulled out a bottle of wine and two glasses.

"Not going to introduce yourself, huh? Alright, that's fine. My father did tell me that you thieves were never a social bunch. I guess I'll do all the talking then." Dokuja opened the bottle and poured it into the two glasses. She set one in front of Yoshimitsu, and the other in front of herself. "Now then, about the negotiations: My father told me that the Manji Clan was responsible for our loss so many years ago. It almost brought us to destruction." She glanced up at Yoshimitsu.

"Your father," began Yoshimitsu, "must have told you a lot about us. I do hope a smart woman such as yourself can tell the difference between the truth and the raw words of those who have been brought to justice." Dokuja threw her head back in laughter.

"My, what a voice you have! Have you caught a cold- Oh, no. You haven't, have you? I had thought all that talk of the Manji leader being a cyborg were just rumors! I guess I was wrong, because here you are!"

"Lady Dokuja," began Yoshimitsu, "I am confused about how this is a meeting to discuss negotiations. That money was taken from the innocent by the Black Pheasants and the Manji Clan merely took it back. We have nothing to negotiate."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong, my dear." Dokuja stood up and slowly walked around the desk and stood behind Yoshimitsu. She then placed her left hand on Yoshimitsu's left shoulder. Dokuja began to speak again, but this time her words were cold and stern.

"You will return what you stole from my father all those years ago, and you will also disband the Manji Clan and flee the country… on pain of death. Do you understand?"

Dokuja continued around the desk while pulling her hand delicately across Yoshimitsu's shoulders, making him shiver slightly. She then looked down at the untouched glass of wine. She picked it up and handed it to Yoshimitsu. "Oh you really must try the wine!" she insisted in her cheerful voice again, "It's delicious!" She then walked back to the seat of the desk and sat down.

Yoshimitsu looked down at the wine. He saw a strange looking film around the inner rim of the glass and one word came to his mind: poison. He then set the glass down and stood up.

"Lady Dokuja! We will not give into your futile threats! You Black Pheasants will be consumed by your greed and hatred!" exclaimed Yoshimitsu, although he didn't allow his voice to reach over a loud declaration, "I will now leave. Good day." Instead of bowing, Yoshimitsu just nodded his head, turned around, and left the room. Dokuja was now furious. She slammed her hand down on the intercom and shouted into it.

"Kenka! That son of a bitch is not leaving this place alive!" Kenka replied with a "Yes ma'am" and the static of the intercom went silent.

Dokuja shot a heated glare at the glass of wine that Yoshimitsu had refused. She leaned forward and violently struck the glass with a back-hand. When it hit the marble floor, the glass shattered and the poisoned wine splashed all over.

"Damn you! You arrogant Manji filth!"

Yoshimitsu made it to the front entrance. As he brushed through the rotating doors and started walking down the steps, he heard rushed footsteps coming from behind him. He turned around to see Kenka and a handful of other Black Pheasants following him out of the building. Yoshimitsu knew what they were sent to do, but he also knew that it wasn't going to be easy for them to accomplish their goal.

The Black Pheasants slowly circled Yoshimitsu. They were armed with the usually weapons a group of thugs might have: a crowbar, a chain, and a baseball bat. Yoshimitsu drew his sword and prepared for the assault.

Suddenly, they attacked. The two men with the crowbar and bat swung at him. Yoshimitsu blocked the one to the right, the crowbar attacker, with his sword and kicked away the left attack. He pushed back the crowbar attacker and jumped over him with his Moonsault Slayer attack to avoid the chain that would have hit him in the back. When he landed, he did a back-flip and struck the crowbar attacker in the head, which knocked him out.

The attacker with the bat swung again, but Yoshimitsu made a quick slash which made the bat split into two pieces. The attacker was stunned out of shock. Yoshimitsu took the attacker by the shoulders and struck him in the stomach with a knee attack. Yoshimitsu's armor intensified the attack to the stomach, so the attacker doubled over in pain. Yoshimitsu threw him aside and concentrated on Kenka.

Kenka, who was equipped with the chain, threw an attack at Yoshimitsu. Yoshimitsu switched his sword from his left hand to his right and snatched the chain out of the air. He then put his mechanical arm to use and spun his wrist around so that the chain began to bunch up. Kenka yanked and pulled to try and free the chain. Then, seeing that he was about to be defeated, he drew a handgun from his jacket and aimed it at Yoshimitsu.

Just before Kenka was about to pull the trigger, a familiar shout and a sickening slash was heard. Kenka screamed and released the chain.

Kunimitsu had jumped from a nearby fire escape and slashed at Kenka's arm. She was about to attack again, but was stopped by a loud gunshot. Kenka had panicked and fired a shot at Kunimitsu, but missed and hit her in the right arm. Kunimitsu screamed, dropped her dagger, and held her wound.

The fact of a Black Pheasant shooting Kunimitsu enraged Yoshimitsu. He threw the chain down, charged at Kenka, and slashed him in the face. Kenka screamed and fell backwards. He was out of the fight.

Yoshimitsu ran up to Kunimitsu, who was now lying on the ground. He knelt down and held her up.

"Why did you attack him!" he asked her, "Why!" Kunimitsu slowly looked up at him and replied in an austere voice.

"If anyone is going to kill you… It'll be me."

Author's Note: Well, that's Chapter 2. I'm sorry it was so long. I know I probably made Dr. Bosconovich look like he didn't know what the heck he was doing playing God through cybernetic surgery, but I felt like the story needed a little more conflict. (It's a revenge story, Aozame! Does it really need more conflict!) Anyway, like I've said before, any reviews are appreciated. Thank you!


	3. Chapter 3: More Human Emotion

Reply to Reviews:

To lilykane: Thank you so much for the great review. I also noticed that there are a lot of Jin/Xiaoyu romances in this place, not that there's anything wrong with that. I just thought I could add a little more variety to this place by writing a fanfic that did Yoshimitsu and the Manji Clan some justice! I'm glad you like it!

To Microwave Jockey: I'm speechless. It's not everyday that someone gets a review like that. Thank you so much! I hope you realize how good that review made me feel, and I appreciate its quality. Thank you!

Author's Note: I'm so, so sorry! This thing took me forever to update! This next chapter was particularly difficult for me to write. Sorry, but you're going to have to use a bit of your imagination during the fight sequences. (I've never done anything like this before.) Plus, it's pretty abundant in length. So, if you're going to read through the whole thing, I suggest you pack a snack. Thank you and enjoy!

Chapter Three: More Human Emotion

'Luckily, the bullet missed the bone. This wound shouldn't take too long to heal,' thought Yoshimitsu, as he cleaned Kunimitsu's bullet wound.

Kunimitsu was lying unconscious on a surgery table. A whole night had passed since the Black Pheasants attacked them, and it was now early morning.

She had passed out after being shot in the arm by Kenka, so Yoshimitsu had carried her back to Dr. Bosconovich's laboratory. It wasn't so much the pain that made her pass out as it was her already accumulated fatigue. When Yoshimitsu was done with the stitching, he took a good look at his attacker.

"She's just as I remember her…" Yoshimitsu said aloud. He then let out a small laugh as he remembered a certain incident from their past.

Right before the first King of Iron Fist Tournament, Kunimitsu had stolen a pendant from Michelle Chang. Michelle was so bent on revenge that she entered the tournament to find Kunimitsu. Yoshimitsu knew that Kunimitsu was frightened at the thought of a "crazy" Indian girl out to get her, so he devised a plan that would benefit everyone.

Yoshimitsu knew that Kunimitsu was skilled enough to be able to steal with almost no exposure, so it was safe to say that Michelle didn't know that Kunimitsu was a woman. Yoshimitsu's plan was to disguise himself as Kunimitsu, find Michelle Chang, accept her challenge to a fight, and purposely lose. That way, he could return the pendant to Michelle and Kunimitsu could stay out of harms way. All the while, Yoshimitsu would still be playing his own part in the tournament. It was so long ago, and Yoshimitsu was much younger than he was now. He thought the whole scheme was an exiting rush: a Manji ninja version of a childhood prank.

As Yoshimitsu remember their past, he suddenly got that strange feeling again, so he quickly turned around and began cleaning off the medical tools he was using.

Suddenly, Kunimitsu woke up with shock. Yoshimitsu spun around as Kunimitsu leaped off the table to snatch her dagger from a nearby counter. She lunged at Yoshimitsu, but was then reminded off the wound on her right arm when she felt a sharp pain as she lifted the dagger. She dropped it and held the wound with her left arm.

"You bastard!" Kunimitsu shouted in anger and pain, "Why the hell did you bring me here?! I'll kill you!"

"You needed medical attention," said Yoshimitsu as he walked towards her.

"I don't need your help!" shouted Kunimitsu. She started to back away.

"Calm down," replied Yoshimitsu. He took a step closer to her.

"Stay back!" Kunimitsu shouted as she picked up the nearest thing she could get her tray, and clumsily flung it at him. Yoshimitsu hit the tray out of the air, causing it to fall to the side with a loud clank.

"There is some food and water for you over on the table," said Yoshimitsu, "I'm leaving now, so you can be alone."

Kunimitsu shot a quick glance at the wooden table and finally decided to let her guard down when she realized that there was indeed food. It was plain, just a bowl of rice and a bottle of water, but food had been hard to come by.

"Don't think that I'll be in your debt!" replied Kunimitsu, as she uncomfortably walked towards the table, "I'll leave as soon as I'm done. Don't think about sending any of your pathetic Manji ninja to this place, because I'll kill them." Her words were tense.

"You have my word," promised Yoshimitsu. He thought sending one of the clan members to Dr. Bosconovich's house to kill Kunimitsu was not only unfair but also an absurd idea.

Yoshimitsu then left the lab and started his walk back to the Manji Complex.

'Maybe she'll never change,' he thought, 'Maybe the only way to solve this is for one of us to die.'

'Don't say that,' said a voice in Yoshimitsu's head, 'Do not give up hope.'

"Who is it that speaks?!" Yoshimitsu cried out in shock, "Be you a spirit or have I lost all sensible thought?!" Yoshimitsu looked around the forest for any forms of communicable life.

"I be the spiritual embodiment of your love and kindness!" A bright flash illuminated the forest path and there, right before Yoshimitsu's feet, appeared Angel. She smiled at him and softly landed on the ground.

"I… I don't understand…" Yoshimitsu said.

"Remember your dreams. Remember your will to save the woman you love," Angel said as she walked towards Yoshimitsu.

"Love? I know it is Kunimitsu that you speak of, but I am not in love with her. I just want to save her from-"

"You mishear me," interrupted Angel, "I did not say you were _in_ love with her. I said you love her, as you would a close friend. There is a delicate difference between the two. One that most would not understand."

"What brings such a glorious one as you before me?" Yoshimitsu remembered to pay his respects and knelt before Angel.

"Your love and determination to save the woman from your past has brought me before you. As with Kunimitsu, her hatred and spitefulness has summoned a most horrible Devil that is bending her spirit to his own will."

"A Devil harms Kunimitsu?!" Yoshimitsu asked with shock.

"Aye. You mustn't give up hope. She needs you more than ever now," answered Angel, as she began to hover before Yoshimitsu.

"I was beginning to fear that my lack of human emotion would disable me from finding the way to Kunimitsu's heart-"

"Lack of human emotion?!" asked Angel, almost angered by the naivety of the warrior. "What is your reason for think you lack human emotion?! Do you not care for hundreds of those in need?! Do you not care for your friends?! Do you not care even for you enemies?! Do you not care for Kunimitsu?! Lack of human emotion indeed! You have more human emotion now than you ever did before!"

"I thank you for your wisdom," Yoshimitsu said as he got on his hands and knees and bowed to Angel. With that, Angel disappeared and the forest was quiet once more.

Yoshimitsu rose and continued on his way to the Manji Complex, all the while wondering if he had been imagining it all.

When Kunimitsu was certain that Yoshimitsu was long gone, she quickly sat down. She lifted her byakko mask up just enough for her to be able to eat. She snatched the bowl up and inspected the rice. She set that down and looked at the chopsticks. She then checked the bottled water to see if it had been previously opened.

Kunimitsu knew that the chance of Yoshimitsu trying to poison her was unlikely, but she also knew that 20 years could change a person. She didn't quite trust him. Seeing that the food and water seemed to be fine, she let herself go and started scarfing down the food. It had been days since she had a regular meal.

"Hello?" suddenly called out a female voice, which caused Kunimitsu to jump in her seat, "Dr. B? Yoshimitsu? Is anyone here?" The voice was getting closer.

Kunimitsu slowly, quietly stood up, walked towards her dagger that was lying on the floor, and picked it up. All the while, she kept her eyes on the door. The doorknob began to move, so Kunimitsu readied herself for an attack.

The door to the lab opened and Kanzashi barged in. She abruptly stopped, set down a paper bag full of items, and looked at Kunimitsu with confusion.

"Who are you?! What are you doing in Dr. Bosconovich's lab?!" asked Kanzashi, but before Kunimitsu had time to talk, Kanzashi went on, "Oh… I know who you are. You're that 'Kunimitsu' everyone's been talking about. You must have a lot of nerve to come to this place."

"Watch your tongue, little girl, or I'll have to cut it out!" replied Kunimitsu, "It wasn't my choice to come to this place. That fool of a man brought me here because he thought I needed his help…"

"Oh, sorry," said Kanzashi, who wasn't really frightened at all, "You didn't have to get all defensive. I guess all Manji ninja are the same."

"I am _not_ a Manji ninja!" Kunimitsu replied with anger.

"You used to be, right?" Kanzashi said more than asked. Kunimitsu let out a sigh as she remembered the past.

"That was… a long, long time ago," said Kunimitsu. She suddenly felt much older and very weary. Kunimitsu snapped out of her train of thought when she realized that this strange girl was not afraid at all. She asked with bewilderment, "Who are you, anyway?"

"My name is Kanzashi. I'm one of the… people that the Manji Clan takes care of." A short silence followed, until Kanzashi asked yet another question, "What was it like?"

"What do you mean?" asked Kunimitsu. After deciding that Kanzashi wasn't a threat, Kunimitsu sat back down and drank a bit of water.

"What was it like stealing with Yoshimitsu and the Manji Clan so long ago? I mean, for some reason you hate him now, but it couldn't have always been like that. Did you two get along at all?"

Kunimitsu thought about it for a bit and realized that Kanzashi was right. A long, long time ago, Yoshimitsu and Kunimitsu didn't really know each other very well. They worked together and obviously spoke, but there was always a rivalry between them. They were a lot younger and very confident, so one was always trying to beat the other in some way. They got along O.K. Actually, they got along great compared to now, but then it changed. Yoshimitsu and the others wanted to change. The thought of changing so quickly frightened Kunimitsu.

"That's none of your concern," finally answered Kunimitsu, but he words had no anger in them.

Her mind was somewhere else, as she continued to think about the past. Kunimitsu remembered keeping some of the money they would steal, while the others wasted it on the poor. Yoshimitsu found out about this on many different occasions and repeatedly tried to talk her out of it.

Kunimitsu didn't listen to him not only because she didn't think of him as a true leader, but also because, deep down, she feared that the Manji Clan would go to ruin if it gave all the money to the poor. She truly wanted to see the Manji Clan succeed, and she didn't think that the current "leader" was fit for the job.

By this time, the unspoken "friendship" between the two had dwindled down to an extreme hatred. Kunimitsu tried to take control of the Manji Clan and attacked Yoshimitsu. Then, as Kunimitsu remembers it, Yoshimitsu banished her from the Manji Clan. Kunimitsu never knew what became of the Manji Clan or of Yoshimitsu after her banishment. She decided that this was the perfect time to find out.

"What is it like here?" asked Kunimitsu, changing the subject.

"There are a lot of people, but we're doing alright. Everyday, someone's shouting for joy because they got a job in the city and can save up to start living again. Why?" Kunimitsu ignored her question and went on.

"What do the Manji themselves do?"

"They mostly pick up supplies, treat the sick, and feed everyone."

"What is… Yoshimitsu like?" Kunimitsu asked, feeling a little uncomfortable.

"He's overprotective, he thinks he knows everything, and he's always telling me what to do. He's been bugging me about some stupid blood test to see if I 'have' anything. Why so many questions?" Kanzashi was starting to get annoyed at the fact that Kunimitsu wasn't answering any of her questions.

"You should have the blood test," Kunimitsu said very suddenly, "Although he's a complete fool for bothering with people like you, he's good at what he does."

"I dunno…" Kanzashi looked at the wall as she thought about it.

"Is it true," continued Kunimitsu, "that he had a cybernetic surgery?"

"Yeah," answered Kanzashi, "It's better not to think about it… Why are you asking all these questions?!"

Kunimitsu abruptly sat up, knocking the wooden chair off balance, and snapped back with her hot temper.

"Look, missy! I've been fighting Yoshimitsu and the Manji Clan since before you were born. It's been 20 whole years since I last saw them. If I want to know something about them, I'll ask without any inquiry. Got it?! Now stay out of my way next time, or I won't be as nice to you as I am now!"

Kunimitsu snatched her dagger from off of the table and glared back at Kanzashi. "You tell Yoshimitsu that I _will_ get my revenge!" shouted Kunimitsu as she disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Kanzashi suddenly realized that she just had a conversation with a desperate killer, and a cold chill of fear ran down her spine. She picked up the paper bag and raced to the Manji Complex.

Kunimitsu made it out of the house and onto a path. The path led from the Manji Complex to the city. As she walked down the path, Kunimitsu thought about her conversation with Kanzashi.

'Why does Yoshimitsu take care of those people?' thought Kunimitsu, 'There must be more who share that girl's feelings towards the Manji ninja, yet they still take care of them. Yoshimitsu has changed… Perhaps the Manji Clan isn't-"

'What are you saying?' suddenly screamed the dark voice, 'Have you forgotten your goal? Yoshimitsu cannot live!'

Suddenly, a swirl of darkness appeared before Kunimitsu. She froze and felt a cringe of hidden fear. Devil emerged from the darkness and stood before her with his piercing eyes. A small cry of shock came out of Kunimitsu's mouth, but she quickly regained her composure.

"I think," Devil began, with a smirk, "that you are getting weak."

"That's not true!" shouted Kunimitsu in defense, still unable to conceal her amazement.

"Perhaps… but you are forgetting the humiliation of banishment and your hate for him."

Kunimitsu then felt burning rage as she remembered the past.

"So, what are you going to do?" asked Devil.

"I shall get my revenge by killing Yoshimitsu!" Kunimitsu answered. Devil flapped his wings and glided backwards into the dark swirl, which disappeared soon after. Kunimitsu continued on her way to the city.

"You haven't done it yet?" asked Aikuchi as he was leaning back on his desk chair. Aikuchi was a small-time crime lord that Kunimitsu had been borrowing money from. He wasn't a cruel man, but he was very serious about his money. Kunimitsu told him countless times that she'd be able to pay him back once she killed Yoshimitsu.

"I'm so close now!" exclaimed Kunimitsu, "If it wasn't for that damned Black Pheasant thug-"

"What did you say?" Aikuchi's eyes got wide and his face showed that he suddenly became distraught.

"The Black Pheasant Syndicate," answered Kunimitsu, wondering why Aikuchi was so worried, "It's just some syndicate that the Manji Clan is dealing with. Yoshimitsu killed the man who saw me, anyway."

"The Black Pheasants aren't just some syndicate," replied Aikuchi, "Kunimitsu, I fear you have gotten both of us into serious trouble."

"Are you going to stop doing business with me then?" asked Kunimitsu in a conniving voice.

Aikuchi wasn't quite sure what to do. If he continued lending her money, the Black Pheasants might hear about him and deal a harsh punishment, but if he let her leave he would come out of the deal empty-handed.

"No," answered Aikuchi, "I expect to be repaid eventually. Just make sure the Pheasants don't know about me.

"Hmm…" Kunimitsu saw a way she could get more out of this, "I'll keep our little deal a secret… if you do one more thing for me."

"Anything," replied Aikuchi.

"Can you have your scouts be on the lookout for Yoshimitsu and the Manji Clan? I want to know if they come into the city."

"Consider it done," answered Aikuchi. Kunimitsu turned around and left with a smirk on her concealed face.

Despite having to deal with the Black Pheasant Syndicate, Yoshimitsu couldn't let that get in the way of his work. He and Hiroyuki were walking around the Manji Complex, discussing the progress reports, the orbiting base, and the inventory. The air was getting drier and drier, and everyone could tell that winter had come and the first snow would fall soon.

The bright sun was at it's highest in the sky. The throwing knives that Hiroyuki wore glimmered in the sunlight, where as Yoshimitsu's black armor seemed to absorb the light, which only accented all the little details. A gust of cold wind swirled by and ruffled the bright red, hair-like plume on the back of his helmet.

"Yoshimitsu!" excitedly called out Dr. Bosconovich. The doctor raced up to Yoshimitsu, despite his old age.

"Dr. Bosconovich? What is it?" asked Yoshimitsu, as he looked back.

"There you are!" continued Dr. Bosconovich, "I have something to show you! I am finally finished with my project! Come take a look!"

"I'll be waiting in the Meeting Room, Master," said Hiroyuki. He bowed and continued on his way.

Yoshimitsu followed Dr. Bosconovich, who led him to the Main Building. They walked down the hall and into Yoshimitsu's bedroom. There, lying neatly on the floor, was an assortment or armor.

Yoshimitsu knelt down next to the armor and looked it over. It was unlike any armor he had ever seen before. The pieces were smaller and the whole thing looked bizarre. It was then that Dr. Bosconovich started to describe the new armor.

"You'll find the design of this new suit to be much different from your previous suits of armor. It's comprised of a body suit made from flexible, elastic material. The armor itself is made of a strong, bulletproof metal. I'm sure you've noticed that there really isn't much armor, and that it's much lighter than what you're used to wearing."

"Yes, I have," replied Yoshimitsu, "This new suit is very different. Why does it have such a light design?"

"All questions will be answered in time," said Dr. Bosconovich, with a smile that showed his excitement. He then turned around and walked out of the room.

Yoshimitsu quickly changed into the new armor. When he was completely in the body suit he suddenly felt very awkward. The body suit was skin-tight and sleek: He wasn't used to wearing things like that. He also noticed that the body suit showed what weeks of almost no food had done to him. Yoshimitsu began to poke at his own ribs and alarmingly small waist.

"I need to try to start eating again," Yoshimitsu said semi-jokingly. He then continued to don the rest of the armor, all the while making note of its many features. The armor, he noticed, was simple, but the color was interesting. The main color was a brownish red, but would fade to a yellow color at his hands and feet. Then, the spots of reflected light made the armor look silvery and metallic. Overall, it was great armor, but the helmet and mask were missing.

Just as Yoshimitsu began looking around for the missing items, he heard a faint clicking sound. He whipped around but could not find the source of the sound. It got louder and louder until he realized that the sound was actually coming from his back. Then, he started to feel a tingly feeling running up and down his spine. Yoshimitsu searched his sights for any status reports, but everything appeared normal. Then, suddenly, a sharp, stabbing pain shot down his spine, spread out to the rest of his back, and faded away. The whole episode caused Yoshimitsu to fall on his knees.

As he knelt there, catching his breath, Yoshimitsu looked around the room until he saw something in the corner that he hadn't noticed before. It was something draped in black cloth. Momentarily forgetting what just happened, Yoshimitsu rose and curiously walked up to it. He then gracefully ripped the cloth away to reveal a sword, a helmet, and a mask.

Doctor, you've outdone yourself, thought Yoshimitsu. He picked up the mask and looked it over. It had the face of a skeleton, with deep sockets and large, shiny eyes. After looking at it, he put it on to find that it fit perfectly.

Yoshimitsu then picked up the helmet with both hands. Like the rest of the armor, it was beautifully colored and lightweight. It had a neck guard and a yellow horn on the top, like that of a beetle. He placed it on his head and was surprised to find that it was very lightweight as well, which made him speculate for a reason.

Yoshimitsu then gazed down at the sword, which was resting on a stand. He leaned down a bit and gently held the sword's hilt with his left hand. The blade itself had a definite structure, but it glowed with a neon green color. He was very impressed.

Yoshimitsu walked outside where Dr. Bosconovich was waiting. Due to the cold, the crowds of people had gone down in number. The few people who were outside, however, stopped in their tracks and stared at Yoshimitsu, who appeared to be a strange sight.

"Ah! It fits you better than I thought it would! What do you think?" asked Dr. Bosconovich.

"It is very comfortable and lightweight. The armor is strong. I like it," answered Yoshimitsu, "But… there was something very strange that happened once I put it on." Yoshimitsu was about to describe the pain when Dr. Bosconovich interrupted him.

"Allow me explain," replied Dr. Bosconovich, "The pain you felt was all a part of the suit's function. Since you are a cyborg, the suit can fuse with your nerves so you can control it."

"Control it?" Yoshimitsu asked.

"The suit has wings, my friend," answered Dr. Bosconovich.

"Wings?!" Yoshimitsu didn't quite understand at first. Then, he realized that he could feel the internal computer connected to the wings. He imagined what it might feel like to move them. He made one little twitch with his back and they shot open. The wings were long and looked like those of a dragonfly.

"I knew you would catch on fast!" cheerfully exclaimed Dr. Bosconovich, "The reason this suit is lighter than the others, has less armor, and is smoother is so it is aerodynamic."

Yoshimitsu nodded his head to show that he now understood.

It was an incredible thought, but this suit of armor would allow him to fly. He made the wings buzz faster and faster until he began to slightly lift off the ground. Then he fell back on his feet. This would take some practice.

As Yoshimitsu continued testing out his new wings, Kitsune ran through the entry to the Main Building and down the steps. Yoshimitsu stopped and turned around to find Kitsune kneeling in front of him.

"Rise," said Yoshimitsu. Kitsune obeyed and looked up to him to deliver her message.

"Master, there are people-" Kitsune was stunned as she gazed at Yoshimitsu's dazzling new suit of armor.

"Yes?" asked Yoshimitsu.

"Oh! Umm, there are people waiting in the Meeting Room for you," she quickly answered back.

Yoshimitsu nodded his head and followed Kitsune into the Meeting Room. Hiroyuki and three other people were sitting at the long table in the room. Yoshimitsu sat down and Kitsune sat next to him.

"We are honored to meet you," began the first man, who was Japanese, as he bowed to Yoshimitsu, "I am Tomomi, and I am serving Mr. and Mrs. Grey as a translator." Tomomi gestured towards the middle-aged man and woman.

Yoshimitsu took a good look at them. Their surprised sights were fixated on him and they began to quietly speak to each other. They saw that Yoshimitsu was watching them, and they spoke to him in vain, for he couldn't understand a word of it.

English, thought Yoshimitsu, Maybe with a British accent.

As soon as they were finished, Tomomi began to translate.

"They say that they are sorry if they appear perplexed. They have never seen a philanthropist quite like you before, and they hope that you are not offended in any way. They have come with donations to the Manji Party, and wish that you accept their offer however little it may be."

"Tell them," began Yoshimitsu, "That I am not offended at all. Also, that we are all very grateful for their donations." Tomomi leaned over to Mr. and Mrs. Grey and told them what Yoshimitsu had said. Tomomi then faced Yoshimitsu and began to tell him what the foreigners had to say.

"They are sorry that they could not get a truck to carry the supplies here. Everything is still at the airport. You and your men will have to go there and get it."

Everyone exchanged deep bow and the foreigners, and their translator, rose and left.

"I'll bring the truck around," said Hiroyuki, as he left to do just that.

"Master?" asked Kitsune, as she rose along with Yoshimitsu.

"Yes?" asked Yoshimitsu.

"I really must say that I'm glad you are feeling better."

Yoshimitsu chuckled and replied, "You are very insightful. Yes, I am feeling better, but how do you know that?" Kitsune looked up and smiled.

"You carry yourself with energy and a new sense. Even with your mask and new armor, you're easy to read, Master." Kitsune smirked and flipped her own mask down on her face. She then turned around and walked away.

Yoshimitsu stood there for a moment, contemplating what she had meant. Suddenly, a shout was heard echoing throughout the building. Yoshimitsu quickly looked up to see Kanzashi rushing into the room.

"Yoshimitsu! That woman! She wants to kill you!" gasped Kanzashi as she ran up to Yoshimitsu. Kanzashi was out of breath from her sprint through the woods, so Yoshimitsu held her up to keep her from falling over.

"Kunimitsu is the woman you speak of," Yoshimitsu said more than asked, "Indeed, she wants to kill me, but do not fear. It is merely and old quandary of mine."

At that moment, Hiroyuki rushed in and bowed to Yoshimitsu, "The truck is at the front and ready." He then looked up at Kanzashi and suddenly took an aura of awkwardness. "Um… Did you bring it?" he asked in a whisper to Kanzashi.

"Oh, right!" exclaimed Kanzashi as she opened the sack she was carrying and took out a small cardboard box and handed it to Hiroyuki. "Here you go."

Hiroyuki then opened the box and took out the most peculiar thing: a nicotine patch. He undid his jacket and secured the patch on his left shoulder.

Yoshimitsu grinned behind his mask at the oddness of the whole picture. Hiroyuki, unaware of Yoshimitsu's true feelings, thought his master might be disappointed. Hiroyuki bowed in apology, but Yoshimitsu raised and assuring hand.

"We all have things to take care of," said Yoshimitsu, "and things to rid ourselves of."

"That's the last of it," declared Kitsune, as she shut the end door to the storage truck. The three Manji ninja had ridden in the truck to the airport. Since they were informed that the supplies were not large, Yoshimitsu saw no reason to bring a whole group of laborers. Loaded the truck was easy enough.

Yoshimitsu, Hiroyuki, and Kitsune began to walk to the front of the truck. Suddenly, something very fast came zipping in their direction. Hiroyuki and Kitsune jumped in font of their master to protect him from whatever harm befell them.

Yoshimitsu, however, merely leaned back and looked at the side of the truck next to him. A small bullet hole was in the truck. Yoshimitsu whipped his head in the direction the bullet came from. He saw a glimmer of a sniper rifle on the top of the airport building.

"I'll kill him for that!" Kitsune shouted when she discovered the sniper.

Hiroyuki, rushing after her, dodged between the panicked and confused people. Yoshimitsu figured that they didn't know about the sniper, but someone merely saw the bullet hole and screamed "gun." Yoshimitsu was about to follow after his two friends, when he heard footsteps nearby.

"Haaa!" Kunimitsu screamed her familiar cry as she jumped off the top of the storage truck.

Yoshimitsu, surprised and wondering how long she had been up there, raised his sword and blocked the plummeting attack.

Kunimitsu pushed herself against Yoshimitsu's block and used the momentum to flip and land a few meters away from the truck. Yoshimitsu took quick sidesteps to the left of Kunimitsu, who did a jumping summersault Poison Wind attack.

Yoshimitsu dodged with a back handspring and did a right high kick to Kunimitsu's head. Kunimitsu blocked the kick with her left arm and jabbed at him with her dagger arm. Yoshimitsu, unable to completely dodge such a lighting-fast strike, did his best to move to one side. The dagger made contact with Yoshimitsu's chest, but his odd angled dodge made the dagger ricochet to the side. Yoshimitsu pushed Kunimitsu back and prepared for a counter attack.

Just then, Kunimitsu quickly leaned sideways to avoid a throwing knife that was speeding through the air. The dagger sliced a bit of Kunimitsu shoulder, but it continued to pass by until it effortlessly went into the side of the storage truck.

Just as Kunimitsu turned around to engage her attacker, Kitsune landed a swift high kick on the bottom of Kunimitsu's jaw. Hiroyuki rushed up to Kunimitsu and continued the assault with a Manji backfist. Kunimitsu blocked Hiroyuki's attack, kicked at Kitsune, and turned just in time to slash at Yoshimitsu, who also blocked her attack with his sword.

The four ninja then began to make their way across the airfield, punching and kicking and shouting. As if things couldn't get any worse, five easily recognizable Black Pheasants jumped out of the back of a speeding truck and ran at the ninja.

Then continued a bloody battle of swords, clubs, chains, daggers, and throwing knives. Kitsune was wounded in the left leg and was lying unconscious to the side, while Hiroyuki obtained a large gash on his chest. Four of the five Black Pheasants were already dead, and the last one was soon to follow.

As Yoshimitsu sliced off the head of the last Pheasant, he felt a painful prick in his neck. Before he could check out his wound, Hiroyuki shouted out, "Missile launcher!" and pointed to the parked truck that the Pheasants had jumped out of.

Kunimitsu, Yoshimitsu, and Hiroyuki jumped to the side as a small missile flew by and landed about six meters away. (Bad aiming on the Pheasant's part.) Kunimitsu and Yoshimitsu rolled to the side, but both quickly stood up.

Hiroyuki had landed next to one of the dead bodies of the Pheasants and was sprawled out on his back. Totally exhausted and just fed up with everything, Hiroyuki glanced over to the dead body and noticed something in the pocket: a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Hiroyuki then weakly reached over, took out a cigarette, pulled down his cotton mask, placed the cig in his mouth, lit it and took a single puff, and fainted on the spot. Police sirens were then heard, and the Black Pheasant truck sped off.

Meanwhile, Yoshimitsu screamed and suddenly began lightly clawing at his lower abdomen. He made little sounds of pain, but couldn't say a word. Kunimitsu looked at him with confusion. Yoshimitsu continued his strange behavior until he fell backwards, as still as a board. Kunimitsu ran up to him and knelt down at his side.

"What's wrong?!" Kunimitsu demanded. She then noticed a tiny dart in Yoshimitsu's neck. "What the hell is that?!" she screamed with anger. She looked at the top of the airport building to see that the sniper had disappeared.

Yoshimitsu tried to speak, but only thing that came out of his mouth were static-filled moans. As Yoshimitsu looked up at Kunimitsu, his red sight began to fade until he could no longer see anything at all. His world was then quiet.

Don't worry, this isn't the end. There will be plenty more where that came from. (Just give me about a million years to write Chapter 4! ) Anyway, thanks for reading! I'll try my best to update a.s.a.p. Remember, any reviews are welcome!


	4. Chapter 4: Our Time Will Come

Reply to Reviews:

To Microwave Jockey: Thank you very much for such a wonderful review! I'm glad you like my work. I tried to find something to symbolize what Yoshimitsu and Kunimitsu were feeling inside. Devil and Angel seemed perfect for the part. As for Kunimitsu, I consider writing about her is a delightful challenge. Although, it wasn't as hard as I thought it'd be. It seems as though she's writing herself as opposed to me writing about her.

Author's Note: Again, I apologize for the sluggishness of my update. (I lost my disc for a while, so I couldn't save anything. Plus, has been acting strange for me lately.) I really hope the following chapter doesn't disappoint anyone. Like the others, this chapter is pretty long. (I hope I'm correct in guessing that if you've read this far, you probably aren't concerned about the length by now.) Also, I made some revisions in the form of the fanfic so that it's easier to read. Nothing big. Well, I guess there isn't much more to say except: enjoy!

Chapter 4: Our Time Will Come

Kunimitsu, realizing that Yoshimitsu had blacked out, began to look around for possible options. All of the Black Pheasants were dead. The two other Manji ninja had fainted. The police, sirens blaring, were getting closer and closer.

"Damn it," Kunimitsu cursed under her breath as she stuck her dagger in her sash. She then lifted Yoshimitsu so that he was sitting upright. His head lay lifelessly to the side as Kunimitsu got him in place. She quickly sat down in front of him and put his arms over her shoulders. Holding on tight, she leaned forward and strained to stand up with Yoshimitsu on her back. The task was easier that she thought, and soon she was quickly carrying him away.

Thanks to her skills, Kunimitsu was out of the airport by the time the police cars screeched to a halt at the fight scene. Emerging from their cars, the wide-eyed police officers looked around and wondered how such carnage could take place on such a sunny day.

Kunimitsu was struggling to climb a flight of steps while carrying the burden of a cataleptic Yoshimitsu on her back.

"You bastard," she gasped to Yoshimitsu, who obviously couldn't respond, "You're lucky I don't slit your throat right now! huff huff Do you have any idea how hard this is? Carrying your ass up all these steps! It's a good thing you're a lightweight! huff huff Why the hell don't they have an elevator?!"

As Kunimitsu made it to the next flight of steps, she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Devil standing in front of her. His arms were crossed as he scornfully looked down at her.

"What are you doing?! Have you become completely weak?! Why haven't you killed him and taken the sword yet?!" asked Devil as he pointed a clawed finger at the steel blade, which was still locked in Yoshimitsu's dead grip.

Kunimitsu still couldn't believe what she was seeing. After a pause, Kunimitsu shook some sense into her head and answered.

"There's something wrong with him. What satisfaction could come from unleashing my vengeance on a sick man? Once he is well enough to fight, I'll make him pay dearly!"

"I hope, for your sake, that you are telling me the truth!" Devil warned in a deep, menacing voice. He still couldn't understand why Kunimitsu insisted on fighting fairly, but he decided to let it pass for now and see what would happen. In the blink of an eye, Devil disappeared into the darkness.

In a small apartment building lived a college student named Chiteki. He lived a decent life: good friends, good job, good grades. However, he had one little secret that put a spin in his normal, decent life. His uncle and guardian was the crime lord who went by the name of Aikuchi. The same Aikuchi that Kunimitsu did business with, so it was through this connection that Kunimitsu knew the bright and dexterous Chiteki.

Chiteki himself didn't like his uncle's "profession" and he would often try to forget that it was dead men and dirty deals that were paying for his college education.

Chiteki was a smart kid and usually finished long assignment with ease. This afternoon, however, he sat and stared at his computer screen while experiencing the agonizingly painful encumbrance that was writer's block.

Suddenly, Chiteki heard a powerful _bang_ at the door. For a moment, he didn't know what to think of it. Then, he heard an even louder _bang_.

"Hold on! I'm coming!" Chiteki called while getting up from his desk chair. The banging increased in sound, coming like volleys of muffled thunder. _Bang bang bang_!

"I said hold on!" shouted Chiteki as he ripped the door open.

Kunimitsu had been leaning against the door for support and fell flat on her face when Chiteki opened it. Chiteki jumped back in surprise and looked down at the two bizarrely dressed people.

"Holy shit! Kunimitsu, is that you?!" Chiteki quickly bent down to help Kunimitsu up, who just shrugged him off in the "I don't need help" kind of way.

"What brings you here?" asked Chiteki, once Kunimitsu had straightened herself and shut the door, "Who's that?" Chiteki pointed at Yoshimitsu, who was still laying face-up on the floor.

"He's sick and needs help," Kunimitsu answered succinctly. Chiteki let out a small burst of laughter.

"I think you have the wrong person, my friend! As you can see, I'm no doctor."

"I don't mean that kind of sick!" replied an annoyed Kunimitsu, "He's a cyborg, and I think he has a virus or something. I don't know a lot about that kind of stuff."

"What did you say?!" Chiteki's face instantly lit up, "A cyborg?! An actual cyborg?!"

"Yeah, he's…" Kunimitsu stopped talking when she realized that Chiteki wasn't even paying attention. He was kneeling next to Yoshimitsu, enthusiastically prodding and poking in disbelief.

"I can't believe it! This is so cool! Where'd you get it?!" exclaimed Chiteki.

"I didn't get _him_ anywhere! He's… an old friend of mine," Kunimitsu had to struggle to get those last words out of her mouth, "So are you going to help me or not?"

It had been almost two hours. Kunimitsu was lying on the couch while Chiteki was sitting at his computer. Chiteki had brought out a whole bundle of wires, boxes, and adapters and rigged everything up to the computer. Yoshimitsu was lying on a table next to the computer. Kunimitsu insisted on being the one to look for a plug-in to connect Yoshimitsu to the anti-virus system. She finally found one when she pulled off Yoshimitsu's back armor. What Kunimitsu found was a mess of wires coming out of the armor and into the skin. A little freaked out, Kunimitsu let Chiteki take it from there and went to the couch. She hadn't budged since.

"Almost there!" said Chiteki, "This is taking longer than I thought, but this guy's computer system is also more complicated than I thought. Whoever made him knew what he was doing!"

'Made him?' thought Kunimitsu, remembering the sight of the wires, 'He wasn't made… Well, he was made, but not _made_ made.' Even in her thoughts, Kunimitsu had trouble wording how she felt.

'What are you fretting about?'

Kunimitsu quickly looked over at the recliner to see Devil sitting there, watching her with those bright, yellow eyes.

'What are you doing here?!' thought Kunimitsu, with a little anger and despair.

'Checking to see how you're doing. This seems like a lot of trouble, helping your enemy and all,' thought Devil, as he tilted his head towards Yoshimitsu.

'It's just weird to see him so… He doesn't seem like a person anymore,' Kunimitsu couldn't believe she was sharing her thoughts, especially to someone like Devil!

'Well then, that should make it easier to kill him!' roared Devil. That made Kunimitsu jump in her seat.

"Hey Kunimitsu! It's almost done!" cheered Chiteki, bringing Kunimitsu back to reality, "He's starting to move now!"

Kunimitsu looked over at Yoshimitsu and, indeed, he was starting to shuffle around. Suddenly, Yoshimitsu wne tinto a small spasm, which caused him to drop the Manji sword.

It was like slow motion. Kunimitsu watched the fierce blade drop to the ground. That was the very blade that she had sought after for twenty years. Kunimitsu stood up and took a sluggish step closer.

'Take it!' screamed Devil, 'Take it and run him through!'

"Yes," Kunimitsu mumbled out loud. Chiteki looked up at her.

"Did you say something?" curiously asked Chiteki.

"N-no," answered Kunimitsu, coming out of her trance. She glanced over to where Devil was standing to see that he was gone.

'Why won't he leave me alone?' thought Kunimitsu.

Just then, Yoshimitsu lurched up as if coming out of a nightmare.

"Demon!" he screamed, "I swear on my life I will slay thee!"

Chiteki was so surprised that he fell backwards in his chair.

"Holy shit! Calm down, dude! It's O.K!" Chiteki stammered as he looked up at the Manji leader with wide eyes.

Meanwhile, Yoshimitsu had leaped off the table, quickly recovered his sword, and frantically glared around the room for the demon that he had sensed.

Chiteki got up and picked up the upset chair.

"It's just me and Kunimi-" Chiteki was shocked to see that Kunimitsu was no longer in the apartment.

"She was gone as soon as I had risen," informed Yoshimitsu. He then turned to Chiteki and bowed in gratitude, "Thank you, young man. You have helped me greatly. I am forever in your debt."

Chiteki then bowed back, still confused by Kunimitsu sudden disappearance, and watched Yoshimitsu leave, quietly closing the door behind him.

"Damn… I still have to right that report."

When Yoshimitsu reached the Manji Complex, night had fallen and the moon shone brightly through the dark clouds. The nearbybuildings andtrees cast oblong shadows across the gray earth. There was no one outside, which made the regularly hectic Manji Complex look like the quiet, empty place of dreams.

When Yoshimitsu neared the Main Building, he saw Kanzashi and Harper sitting on the steps, waiting for his return. Kanzashi quickly rose and ran all the way up to him, leaping to hug him. Then, as if remembering herself, she pushed him back and looked up at him with forced anger.

"Where have you been?! Everyone was getting worried!"

"I was… occupied with something," answered Yoshimitsu.

"You'll never guess what I have to tell you!" Kanzashi said with excitement, forgetting all about Yoshimitsu's disappearance, "I decided to have that stupid blood test and the results said that I'm perfectly fine!" The fact that Kanzashi actually had a blood test truly surprised Yoshimitsu.

"That's incredible," he replied, "What made you agree to it?" Harper stood up and calmly walked down the stone steps.

"That Kunimitsu woman," Kanzashi answered, "When I met her in the lab, she gave me some hard-school advice." This was another even greater surprise.

"You met Kunimitsu?" Yoshimitsu asked.

"Yeah, and I can see why she was banished! What a wildcat!"

'I should have had more patience,' thought Yoshimitsu, 'I could have-' Yoshimitsu suddenly stopped when he remembered Hiroyuki and Kitsune.

"Did Hiroyuki and Kitsune ever come back?!" he anxiously asked. Anxiety began to sweep over him.

"They were taken to a hospital and then arrested!" answered Kanzashi in a "can you believe that?" kind of tone.

"Arrested?!" shouted Yoshimitsu, who's high emotions caused his wings to shoot open.

"Whoa! Calm down!" assured Kanzashi, after jumping back at the surprise of the wings, "They called the satellite phone and the Manji Clan bailed 'em out. They were in bad shape, though."

"Where are they? In the Medical Quarters?" Yoshimitsu practically answered his own question.

"Yup," answered Kanzashi.

"I saw them," Harper suddenly piped in. His voice was mature, but not one of someone who has seen many things. "I saw them being taken into the Medical Quarters. If you don't mind me asking, sir, what happened?"

"… What happened is that I didn't think through and consider the complexity of human beings." They left it at that and Kanzashi and Harper went their separate ways. What Yoshimitsu had meant was that he was truly surprised by Lady Dokuja's actions. She was different from her father, who wouldn't have sent an attack force to the Manji Headquarters. Putting these thoughts aside for the moment, Yoshimitsu turned and began walking up the steps.

When Yoshimitsu got halfway up the steps, he stopped and looked up at the soulful moon.

"Thank you, Kunimitsu," he softly whispered, "Thank you for not abandoning me. You saved my life."

As Yoshimitsu continued on his way up the steps, he noticed a bright, almost illuminated figure out of the corner of his eye. Sensing no danger, but comfort, he continued on his way through the solid wood doors.

Angel, who was sitting on the steps, smiled as she watched Yoshimitsu enter the building. She then fixed her gaze on the beautiful moon as it gracefully drifted between the shadowy clouds.

"There you are, my friend. I hope you can forgive me for neglecting you for so long. My only excuse is that I've been very busy." The bright eyes of a beautiful white horse stared back at Yoshimitsu as he spoke these words.

As if agreeing to forgive him, the horse raised its head above the stable gate and nuzzled Yoshimitsu's outstretched hand.

Yoshimitsu had named the horse Gessekai, for its white coat shone as brightly as the moon he had viewed the night before.

Yoshimitsu chuckled and opened the gate to Gessekai's pen. After going through all the essential preparations, Yoshimitsu mounted the white horse. To his surprise, he found this task easier due to the lack of heavy armor. Gessekai noticed the change as well, for he flew into a lively trot when Yoshimitsu had only made a small clicking sound.

Within moments, Yoshimitsu was out of the Manji Complex and galloping down the path that led from the Complex to the city. The sun was blocked by clouds but, nevertheless, it was still a bright morning. On his way, memories of earlier that morning came to Yoshimitsu's mind.

Dr. Bosconovich had been abruptly awakened by a loud scream coming from Yoshimitsu's room. Yoshimitsu was troubled with a pain that he had not felt in a long time: the pain of hunger. Dr. Bosconovich was ironically ecstatic, and he set forth to get Yoshimitsu some breakfast. A real breakfast of sweet potatoes and rice. To Yoshimitsu's great relief, the dull, agonizing pain vanished when he was finished eating.

"I told him it was nothing," Yoshimitsu said aloud, referring back to the once worried doctor. Feeling thepain of hunger only strengthened Yoshimitsu'sresolve to help those in need.

'This would be a great time to try out these wings,' suddenly thought Yoshimitsu, as he brought Gessekai to a halt.

Yoshimitsu let go of the reins and let them fall across Gessekai's back. He then stood up and easily balanced on the saddle. With his arms outstretched and his sword raised parallel to the ground, Yoshimitsu then produced a couple clicks, which sent Gessekai into a swift gallop.

Yoshimitsu slightly rocked back and forth as he balanced on the speeding horse. Then, after Gessekai had run a good distance down the path, Yoshimitsu commanded him to stop. Obeying, Gessekai came to a quick halt. Yoshimitsu used the momentum and leaped forward. He then released his wings and tried to stay airborne for as long as possible.

After flying the distance of only a few meters, Yoshimitsu descended to the ground. Upon landing, he slid into a 180 degree turn, while placing his free hand on the ground as a break. Already facing Gessekai, Yoshimitsu rose and walked towards his slightly baffled steed.

"That went fairly well," Yoshimitsu said to Gessekai as he scratched him between the eyes, "Thank you for your help, my friend. I don't suppose you'd mind another go?"

Yoshimitsu tried again, this time staying in the air for a few seconds longer. As Yoshimitsu landed, he suddenly felt a devastatingly cold feeling in his chest. A little panicked, Yoshimitsu quickly stood up. He listened for anything, but only heard the rustle of leaves and the breathing of Gessekai. Then, the cold feeling was followed by the fire that he had felt so many times before.

Gessekai was then spooked by the image of Angel, who was hovering a few meters away from where Yoshimitsu stood.

Yoshimitsu searched Angels face, and discovered tears streaming from her eyes as she stretched her hand out in the direction of the Manji Complex. Her mouth was open as if she was screaming, but no sound came out.

Yoshimitsu's heart sank and the fire raged as he felt that something was terribly wrong.

"The Complex!" he shouted out loud. Yoshimitsu ran and leaped onto Gessekai's back. Taking hold of the reins, he turned Gessekai towards the direction of the Complex and the two dashed off.

Yoshimitsu then heard a buzzing sound approaching him from behind. He looked back to see three men on motorcycles who were speeding up to him. Although their black leather clothes and black helmets hid their appearance, Yoshimitsu knew them to be members of the Black Pheasant Syndicate.

'Why are they here?!' thought Yoshimitsu, as he clicked his heels to make Gessekai run faster.

The first man, who came up to Yoshimitsu's right side, held a long metal pole in his left hand. He swung at Yoshimitsu, who's new, vibrant sword effortlessly cut through the pole. Yoshimitsu then leaned over to the extreme right and, using the hilt of his sword, did a Sword Smash to the Pheasant's head. The man fell off of the bike, which veered off across Gessekai's path and into the forest.

The second rider was already on Yoshimitsu's left side. This man had a long dagger and was trying to get close enough to disable Gessekai. Yoshimitsu, fearing his friend's safety, steered Gessekai farther to the right. He then raised his right foot on the saddle and, pushing off with that same foot, bounded into the air and onto the motorcycle.

The shocked Pheasant tried to push Yoshimitsu off, but Yoshimitsu already had his right arm around the man's neck and threw him off of the bike. Yoshimitsu quickly grabbed the handlegrips and brought the swerving motorcycle under control.

Yoshimitsu loudly whistled to Gessekai, who followed him to his best ability. The final Pheasant sped up to Yoshimitsu's left side and slashed at him with a sword. Yoshimitsu dodged the attack by leaning back as far as he could. He then lunged at the Pheasant and gave him a shallow stab in the arm. The man shouted out in pain and veered off into the forest.

Yoshimitsu stood up and placed his right foot on the right handlegrip of the motorcycle. He looked back at Gessekai and judged the distance between them. Pulling back on the handle bar with is right foot, Yoshimitsu steered the bike off course and leaped backwards into a backflip before the bike crashed into a group of trees. Yoshimitsu landed on Gessekai's back and sat back down.

"Run Gessekai!" he shouted with desperation as the two continued on their way to the Complex.

When Yoshimitsu reached the entrance to the Manji Complex, he jumped off of Gessekai and ran into the crowd of people. Everyone was panicking while Manji ninja were telling them to get inside. Yoshimitsu slowly made his way to the gradually thinning crowd, while picking up people who had fallen, until he heard a commanding voice in the air of frightened murmurs.

"Where is he?!" shouted the gruff voice in the distance. Yoshimitsu followed the voice, which led him to the front of the Main Building. Despite his bizarre armor – which would have made him stick out – Yoshimitsu was able to stay concealed among the crowd and watch what was happening in the clearing ahead.

Standing with their backs to the steps were Dr. Bosconovich, Hiroyuki, Kitsune, and a few other loyal Manji ninja.

"Where is he?!" repeated the apparent leader who was standing in front of the Manji and brandishing a sword. Behind him were more Black Pheasants equipped with the same kind of weapon. Yoshimitsu thought the man sounded familiar, but his face was not in view Yoshimitsu wasn't able to identify him.

"Tell us now or they'll have to pay!" One of the Pheasants grabbed a middle-aged woman from the crowd and put a blade to her throat.

"You leave those people alone!" roared Doumou, a loyal Manji swordsman.

The Pheasant grinned and, when it seemed that he actually would kill the woman, a sharp whistle was heard as something zipped through the air. The Black Pheasant stared blindly into the distance and fell over. A throwing knife was lodging between his eyes.

"Don't be stupid," bluntly warned Hiroyuki, "Or I'll kill two more of you instead of one!"

"You fucking son of a bitch!" shouted a younger Black Pheasant, obviously a friend of the dead one. He took a step closer, emphasizing his blade.

"Come any closer and I'll tear your heart out!" raged Kitsune as her fist came out in front of her. Her arms were covered in metal sheets that acted like a combination of shield and weapon.

The Black Pheasants standing behind the leader stepped forward, weapons bared and ready to fight. To everyone's surprise, Yoshimitsu leaped into view and cut down the closest Black Pheasant.

"Master!" shouted all the Manji ninja in unison.

The leader spun around and faced Yoshimitsu. His eyes filled with rage. A long gash ran between his eyes, which would more than likely turn into a permanent scar.

Upon seeing his face, Yoshimitsu immediately recognized him as the Black Pheasant who had shot Kunimitsu in the arm.

"Surprised to see me?" Kenka spat out these venomous words, "I'm sure you are! Well I'm alive, and I haven't forgotten this!" He pointed to the gash on his face. "Don't worry! I'll make sure to return the favor!"

Hiroyuki and Kitsune shouted and they, along with the other Manji ninja, suddenly charged at the Black Pheasants, and Yoshimitsu attacked Kenka. They all broke out into a frenzied rage and their screams and the sounds of metal against metal echoed throughout the Complex, along with the terrified screams of the onlookers, who were now quickly running to safety.

A blood bath ensued as Black Pheasants and Manji ninja were falling to the ground with deep wounds. Hiroyuki and Kitsune were still recovering from their injuries from the airport, but they were much more skilled than the Pheasants. Dr. Bosconovich could only stand to the side and watch the whole thing.

Upon hearing the screams, Harper and Kanzashi ran to the scene of the battle and stood alongside Dr. Bosconovich. The doctor and Kanzashi were terrified for their friends, but Harper was mostly angry at the fact that he couldn't do anything to help. Despair and rage burned on his face as he looked for a way.

Noriko, one of the Manji ninja, stabbed one of the last Black Pheasants through the stomach. Noriko then pushed the Black Pheasant off his sword with his foot. The body fell in front of Harper, and he caught sight of a handgun in the Pheasant's suit.

He grabbed the gun and immediately began firing at the Black Pheasants. He was a surprisingly good shot and killed the rest of the Pheasants, all except Kenka.

Kenka quickly turned around and drew his handgun with lighting speed. A shot was fired and everyone froze. Kanzashi shrieked in pain as she clutched the bloody hole in her chest and fell backwards.

"Kanzashi!" shouted Yoshimitsu and Harper. Dr. Bosconovich quickly knelt down and tried to help Kanzashi, who was going into shock. Harper was frozen by the trauma of what just happened. As if struck dumb, he merely stared down at Kanzashi.

"That'll teach you not to play with guns," spat Kenka, with cruel smirk. He suddenly froze and became wide-eyed. He looked down at his stomach to see the glowing blade of a laser sword protruding from a bloody hole. Kenka then heard a menacing voice behind him.

"That'll teach you not to turn your back on someone when you've just killed a loved one of theirs," Yoshimitsu said, as he gentled pushed Kenka off of the blade. Kenka fell forward, dead.

Yoshimitsu immediately ran up to Kanzashi and held her in his arms. Her face was as pale as death and her mouth struggled to produce sound.

"Y-Yoshimitsu…" she spoke, in a quiet voice, "Thank… thank you so m-much." If Yoshimitsu could cry, he would be at this moment. He shook with grief as he watched the life flee from Kanzashi. "Yoshimitsu," Kanzashi's voice was suddenly calm and strong, "Yoshimitsu. You're the greatest father I could ever have hoped to have."

Kanzashi gracefully placed a hand on Yoshimitsu mask. She then closed her eyes and never opened them again.

He knew the smell would last for days, but it was meant to be a constant reminder of the struggles in life.

The bodies of the dead were all place parallel to each other atop a large mound of chopped wood. Sticks of incense were placed in front of the mound. There was one for each person who was killed, even for the Black Pheasants. The dead Manji Clan members, including Kanzashi, were fitted with white robes.

Yoshimitsu and Noriko, two of the oldest Manji Clan members, held burning torches as they stood on opposite sides of the mound. The Buddhist monk began chanting prayers, and people in the crowd began to weep, especially Harper and Hakujitsu.

Yoshimitsu, gripping the torch, began to slowly walk up to the mound, followed by Noriko.

"May thy spirit rest in peace," whispered Yoshimitsu, as he gently touched the mound with the torch.

The mound gradually went up in flames, and soon the smell of burning flesh carried throughout the Complex.

When the people started to leave, Hakujitsu broke into a run and raced up to Yoshimitsu. Yoshimitsu knelt down and embraced the poor boy, who was now sobbing uncontrollably.

"K-Kanz-zashi!" Hakujitsu cried as he buried his face into Yoshimitsu's chest, "It's n-not fair!"

"I am so sorry, Hakujitsu," Yoshimitsu said remorsefully, "I know it isn't fair, but your sister would want you to be brave. Everything will be alright."

Later that day, Yoshimitsu called a clan meeting at the temple in the forest. The entire clan immediately assembled in front of the temple. Despite the cold, they all stood attentively and waited for their leader to arrive.

When Yoshimitsu arrived, he took his place in front of the crowd. His beetle armor gleamed in the scarce sunlight and his green laser sword caught the eyes of all who stood there.

"This has gone on long enough," began Yoshimitsu in an assertive, commanding voice, "The Black Pheasants must pay for what they have done, and they must be brought to justice! The Black Pheasants shall feel the true passionate fury of the Manji Clan! We will make themfeel it!" Yoshimitsu raised his sword in the air and everyone shouted a battle cry.

So the plans were set. Tomorrow, the Manji Clan would launch an assault on the Black Pheasants. They were then dismissed to prepare for the upcoming task. Soon the only people that remained were Yoshimitsu, Hiroyuki, and Harper, who had been allowed to come to the meeting in order to talk to Yoshimitsu.

"Sir," began Harper, very seriously, "I feel that Kanzashi's death is my fault."

"You are not to blame, Harper," Yoshimitsu replied, "No one is able to control things like that."

"But I still felt like I could have done something!" insisted Harper, angry at his own guilt, "That's why… I… I beg of you to allow me to become a member of the Manji Clan." Harper got down on his knees and bowed before Yoshimitsu.

"I talked to him about it," said Hiroyuki, "and I am sure with the proper training he could become a very loyal and skillful Manji ninja."

"Please, sir!" Harper exclaimed, "I want to be able to help people… After what I saw, I want to be able to do something!"

"Very well," Yoshimitsu granted, after thinking about it for a moment, "You may begin the training of the Manji ninja. I entrust Hiroyuki with the responsibility of training you."

"Thank you!" cried Harper, and tears began to stream from his eyes. Yoshimitsu placed his hand above Harper.

"Rise," Yoshimitsu commanded. Harper immediately rose and bowed to Yoshimitsu and Hiroyuki. The two then left and Yoshimitsu was again alone on the temple grounds.

Yoshimitsu glanced up at the temple roof where he had seen Kunimitsu for the first time in twenty years. That thought made the passionate fire burn inside of him.

"Life is a never-ending path of peril," Yoshimitsu said serenely, "After this, Kunimitsu, we will find each other. Our time will come."

Author's note: Well, that's Chapter 4. I hope you enjoyed it. I have to say that writing this fanfic has been one of the most enjoyable experiences in my life, but it's not over yet! Until Chapter 5, see you later! (And don't forget to review!)


	5. Chapter 5: Free

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Author's Note: Boy, this has taken a long time. Longer than I thought. It was such a hard road to the completion of this particular chapter, too. Not only was it hard to write, it was hard going back and forth from my house to the library. And on top of that, the floppy disk that held this chapter became corrupt, and I lost a lot of hard work. However, I finally got Microsoft Word on my home computer, and a good friend of mine named Nyawu helped me retrieve some of the lost data. So, Nyawu, this chapter is dedicated to you. Enjoy. (By the way, this chapter is really, really, OMG, there's-no-way, really, really, freakishly, almost-impossibly, 22-pages-on-Word, 8,537-words, really, really long. Not only is this chapter long, but the sequences don't go in order. There is a lot of moving around, but I trust that you can keep up. .)

Chapter Five: Free

"Argh! How could I be so stupid?!" Kunimitsu shouted as she stomped down the alley. Kunimitsu had just left Chiteki's apartment, and already she was beginning to question her actions. She came to the conclusion that maybe she had made a mistake in letting Yoshimitsu go. It was a mistake that she desperately wanted to correct.

It was very late and not a single star could be seen in the dark, cloudy sky. The temperature had almost dropped to freezing, and the winds made it worse. Kunimitsu, being among the tall building and narrow alleys, didn't feel so cold. She mostly felt foolish.

"Fuck!" she shouted angrily, kicking at anything that came into her way.

"You shouldn't beat yourself up like that," suddenly said a voice, causing Kunimitsu to hold her dagger up in defense, spinning around to the source of the voice.

A man stepped out of a darkened alley and into the light.

"Who the hell are you?" asked Kunimitsu, with a threatening tone.

"My name is Tagaki. I am a messenger for the Black Pheasant Syndicate. My Lady has heard about you and wishes to meet with you."

Kunimitsu, rather than cutting the messenger down where he stood, thought about it for a moment. If someone had enough resources to "hear" about her, they might actually be worth talking to.

"... Alright, I'll meet your Lady... Yeah, why the hell not?"

A sigh of relief. "Right this way.

* * *

"So, it was you who got in the way and gave Kenka such an ache in the arm," Lady Dokuja said in an amused voice as she leaned back in her chair.

"I didn't know I was such a nuisance," sardonically replied Kunimitsu, as she sat in the chair in front of the large desk. Kunimitsu made quick, unnoticeable glances around the room.

"Quite," Dokuja said bluntly, "I'm sure you've been giving Yoshimitsu loads of trouble, which is why I've asked you to come here."

"Go on." Kunimitsu studied the desk and the large window behind it. The lights of the neon signs and the cars below illuminated the dark city.

"I think we might be able to help each other. We both want Yoshimitsu dead, right? I'm sure we can work out some sort of agreement." Lady Dokuja leaned back in her chair, interlacing her fingers as she looked at Kunimitsu with interest and natural mistrust.

"Hmm. I help you, you help me, Yoshimitsu dies. So far, I like how that sounds," Kunimitsu stood up and leaned over the desk, "But-"

"But?" asked Dokuja, becoming a little annoyed.

"I'll help you if you swear that I'll be able to fight Yoshimitsu alone. None of this 'gang up on the bastard' shit. Just one-on-one. You can watch if you like," smirked Kunimitsu. Dokuja's face became tense with anger.

'Who does this disrespectful bitch think she is?!' she steamed in her mind as she looked at Kunimitsu. However, she merely let out a sigh and nodded in agreement.

"... Fine. You can fight Yoshimitsu alone, but bring him here before he dies. I want to see him suffer."

"You can be sure of that." Without being excused, Kunimitsu turned around and barged through the doors. When she left, Dokuja slammed a fist on the armrest of her chair.

"Do all Manji ninja have to be so damn arrogant?!" Dokuja asked as she rubbed her temples.

"Perhaps it's in their nature," replied the messenger with a blank expression as he stood by the door.

"Takagi," began Dokuja, looking at the messenger, "Tell Kenka to have some men ready by tomorrow morning. We're going to give the Manji Clan a little visit. Have the motorcycle squad go along with them. Tell them to search the area and find the Manji Base.

"Yes ma'am," Takagi quickly replied as he headed off. He then thought to himself, 'Search the area? Oh, that's right...' He suddenly became worried, 'The first messenger never made it back...'

* * *

"The air still smells of the dead," Noriko commented as he passed the gourd of sake to Yoshimitsu. The two old Manji warriors were sitting cross-legged at one of the many bonfires that had been built in a clearing in the forest.

"Aye, but the memories of the dead will last far longer than the smell," Yoshimitsu replied as he lifted his skeletal mask slightly and took a sip from the gourd. He gazed into the roaring fire and then up at the cloud covered moon.

Yoshimitsu's thoughts were still on the funeral. In his mind, he could see the tears and hear the weeping of the people. After the mass funeral, the Manji Clan began preparing for tomorrow's assault by enjoying what could most likely be the last night of their lives. Most of them merely sat beside the warm fires with their friends and sharpened their swords, while others...

"There you are, Master!" cheerfully shouted Hiroyuki as he and Kitsune, arms over each others' shoulders, stumbled over to Yoshimitsu and Noriko. Hiroyuki's black cotton mask was pulled down, and a bright, beaming smile could be seen on his face.

"We're playing a really fun drinking game, Master!" beamed Kitsune, who had discarded her metal oni mask. "You have to throw a rock up into the air as high as you can and, and, and if you can't catch it behind your back, then you take a drink of rice wine! I'm not very good at it, but it's a fun game! You should join us, Master! You'd have fun!"

Kitsune then left Hiroyuki's side, staggered around the fire, and sat down in Yoshimitsu's lap! Shocked and uncomfortable- perhaps due to the fact that he was actually quite comfortable- Yoshimitsu dropped the gourd on the ground beside him and tried to talk to the drunk Kitsune.

"U-ummm, Kitsune, could you please...? Well, umm... You see, you're sitting on me, and... well..." stammered Yoshimitsu as he tried to find the words. He took Kitsune's arm off his shoulders and set it in her lap, "This kind of behavior is, well, unbecoming and I suggest that you-"

"Aww, don't be so troubled, Master," Kitsune said quite cheerfully as she wrapped an arm around Yoshimitsu's shoulders, "You've been really stressed out lately," slurring the 's', "and I think you need to take a moment to relax 'n stuff like that. You worry too much!" Kitsune then became calm and looked deep into the eyes of Yoshimitsu's mask.

"Don't worry, Master," she said in an almost inaudible voice, "She'll eventually see the truth." Kitsune then giggled and playfully tapped Yoshimitsu on the ridge of his skeleton mask nose.

'Is she talking about Kunimitsu?' Yoshimitsu pondered.

"Come on, Kitsune, you silly fool!" Hiroyuki exclaimed with a smile, as he tottered over to Yoshimitsu.

Noriko just shook his head in that way that most old men do when disapproving of the actions of the youth, while Hiroyuki tottered and laughed. Some of the Manji ninja at the nearby bonfire glanced over at the gleeful pair and shook their heads in laughter.

Kitsune then staggered to her feet, using Yoshimitsu's head as a basis to push herself up, and threw an arm over Hiroyuki's shoulders. The two stumbled off until their laughter was drowned out by the crackling of the fire.

"Crazy kids," grumbled Noriko, who was being quite the old stick-in-the-mud, "Getting drunk and galooping around like idiots."

Noriko didn't really have a tone of contempt in his words, but rather the tone of one who was reminiscing _his_ old "galooping" days.

"We should let them enjoy life. This could be their last night of it," solemnly replied Yoshimitsu. He sounded far off in his mind due to the fact that he was actually thinking about what Kitsune had said a few seconds ago.

'Will Kunimitsu ever see?' thought Yoshimitsu, who was suddenly surprised by a hand on his shoulder. He looked over at Noriko.

"Nonetheless, the girl's right. You do worry too much," said Noriko, with a smirk, "Maybe it's _you_ who should enjoy life."

Meanwhile, instead of returning to the drinking game, Hiroyuki and Kitsune were walking away from the clearing and back to the Main Building, where most of the clan members lived.

"Are you afraid?" asked Kitsune. She and Hiroyuki had grown more serious as they discussed tomorrow's assault.

"I don't know what to think. I don't ever remember the Manji Clan doing something like this before," modestly replied Hiroyuki, "We've both been with the Manji Clan for years now, but something about this upcoming assault seems different. So yeah, I'm a little worried."

Hiroyuki glanced around at the trees and the sky. The wind blew through the branches and made the leaves dance in the moonlight.

"Hehehe... Maybe if I wish hard enough, this night will never end and we can all stay here and not worry about a thing," said Kitsune wistfully.

Hiroyuki suddenly stopped walking, making Kitsune halt in her tracks.

"What's wrong?" asked Kitsune, as she tried to find the answer in Hiroyuki's visage.

"Kitsune, I would love it if we could stay here. I don't want you to get hurt tomorrow."

Kitsune was silenced with surprise from Hiroyuki's confession of concern. The two had known each other for years, and she now realized what that deep, hidden feeling, the one she had always felt, really was.

"Hiroyuki, nothing is going to happen to me. Besides, you'll be there with me!" Kitsune said in a brighter tone, to try to cheer up the mood.

"You're right," agreed Hiroyuki, as if he had just said something wrong and was corrected, "I am probably just worrying too much. We should head back to the others now."

Hiroyuki turned around and started to head back to the clearing, but before he could take another step, Kitsune quickly grabbed his arm and stopped him.

Hiroyuki looked back at her in surprise and Kitsune asked in a very pure, expressive way, "Do we _have_ to go back?"

Hiroyuki smiled sincerely and placed a hand on her face gently, moving her dark hair to the side so that her whole face was illuminated in the cold moonlight.

"No, we can go wherever you want."

Hiroyuki then leaned in and kissed her deeply. After a moment, the two began walking closely. Rather than going back to the others, however, they headed back to the fairly unoccupied mountain base.

* * *

"Are you positive that you're alright?" asked Yoshimitsu, as he took his eyes away from the clipboard he was holding and looked over at Kitsune. 

"Yes, Master. I'm fine," assured a very tired looking Kitsune.

"This truck is empty now, Master," interrupted a Manji ninja, who, along with a group of others, was unloading supplies.

Yoshimitsu nodded to the ninja and made a few check marks on the list from the clipboard. The Manji ninja went right away to help the others unload the next truck.

"Kitsune," continued Yoshimitsu, "You still look a little fatigued. You probably didn't get any sleep at all. Maybe you should stay behind when we go to the Black Pheasant Headquarters."

"And miss out on all the fun?" joked Kitsune, as she rubbed her eyes and held back a yawn.

Yoshimitsu glanced around at all the other Manji ninja. He realized that they all looked tired from the night before, but none so much as Kitsune.

"We can stop right here," Yoshimitsu said to everyone around him, "What we have unloaded should do for a few days. Now, we must prepare for the assault on the Black Pheasants."

All of the Manji ninja nodded their heads and left to get ready.

* * *

"Now try to raise your left leg," said Hiroyuki, as he looked up at Harper, who was trying his hardest to balance on a fairly tall pole.

"It's too hard... I can barely stay... up as it is!" replied Harper, pausing whenever he came close to losing his balance.

"Hiroyuki!" called Yoshimitsu, as he walked up to the two in the Training Ground. The dirt swirled up from the dusty ground as a cool winter wind swept through the buildings.

Harper looked over at Yoshimitsu, causing himself to break his concentration and fall.

"Ahh!" Thud.

"Yes Master?" asked Hiroyuki, while Harper stood up and dusted himself off.

"We are getting ready to leave now," said Yoshimitsu. He studied Hiroyuki for a moment. Hiroyuki seemed more alert than usual, but he had a relaxed, good mood about him. A very good mood, actually. "You'll have to cut your lessons with Harper short for today," resumed Yoshimitsu.

"Oh? Yes Master," Hiroyuki replied, a little oblivious, but cheerful. He then bowed and left for the Main Building.

'Something's strange about him, too,' thought Yoshimitsu.

Yoshimitsu then turned to Harper, who was wearing the black clothing of a ninja, which contrasted with his bright, blond hair.

"So, I see that Hiroyuki is teaching you balance," said Yoshimitsu. He thought he might as well try to say a few things to Harper, which he hadn't really done before.

"Yes sir- or Master," Harper said quickly while looking down at his feet.

"We are leaving soon," began Yoshimitsu, "I want you to stay here and train. Meditation would also do you some good. Do you understand?"

"Yes Master," Harper said in reply and bowed, "Umm, Master? May I ask you something?"

"Yes?" inquired Yoshimitsu.

"I still feel like I should do something for you, since you allowed me to start my training. You see, when I was in Russia, I helped a volunteer worker teach the people how to speak and read English. I thought that maybe I could teach you."

"You? Teach me English?" Yoshimitsu asked with genuine curiosity.

"Well, I thought that it would be good for business if you knew English. That way, you wouldn't have to pay for translators."

Yoshimtisu looked to the side like he usually did when thinking.

"When everything calms down, I'll take you up on your offer," agreed Yoshimitsu. Harper's icy eyes lit up with excitement.

"Thank you, Master!" said Harper, as he bowed many times, "You won't regret it!"

* * *

"So, you have held your end of our bargain," said Kunimitsu, as she stood, arms crossed, in front of Dokuja's desk.

"They should be arriving any moment," began Dokuja, as she spun around in her chair and looked out of the large window, "Damn it! I'd send all of my forces there if I knew where the hell it was!"

Kunimitsu thought about what Dokuja just said and began to laugh.

"What?! Hahaha! You sent a messenger and an attack force to the Manji Clan Base, and yet you still don't know where it is?! That's just too damn funny!" Kunimitsu declared as she continued to laugh hysterically.

"Shut up!" Dokuja shouted in frustrated humiliation, "My first messenger made it there, but he never came back. Damn Manji bastards probably killed him... Then you showed up," Dokuja rotated her large office chair slightly and glared over at Kunimitsu, "We made our deal and I sent Kenka with some of my best fighters to find the Manji Clan base. They never came back either."

"Well, I'm sure they made it and raised hell," said Kunimitsu, as she started to casually pace around the large room, "Yoshimitsu's more than likely pissed and already gathering a Manji strike force. Kenka and them are dead, there's no doubt about that."

"You know where the Manji Clan Base is," Dokuja said suddenly, "This could all be finished if you'd just-"

"No. There's no point in going there if they're already coming here," Kunimitsu said matter-of-factly, "Your men can hold off the rest of the Manji Clan, and I'll deal with Yoshimitsu once he's alone. Just remember, the deal is that I'll help you if I get to fight Yoshimitsu all by myself."

"As long as I get to see him suffer," said Dokuja, with a hint of contempt.

"Well," began Kunimitsu, as she turned around and began walking towards the large office doors, "The show's about to start. I'll see you then." Kunimitsu stood in front of the two large doors, waiting for them to be opened. When they were, she quickly walked through and disappeared when they closed shut.

"Oh, there's no way in Hell I'm letting that former Manji bitch take away my only chance of avenging my father," spat Dokuja, as she rubbed her temples, trying to relieve her stress headache.

* * *

The Black Pheasant Headquarters Building looked like any regular business building when looked at from the outside world. People in cars, on bikes, and on foot passed by the rotating front doors by the thousands on any given day. With this in mind, Kunimitsu took the back way out, avoiding the possibility of being seen in the revealing sunlight.

'That stupid, rancorous bitch,' thought Kunimitsu, as she quietly made her way down the alley, 'She's going to find some way to cheat my out of my fight with Yoshimitsu. I'll show her not to piss me off." Kunimitsu reached into her shirt jacket and pulled out a small smoke bomb. She then flung in on the pavement and disappeared from the alley.

* * *

"All systems are go, captain!" Taka shouted over the roar of the rotating helicopter blades as she went through a mental checklist of all the necessary measures.

"Alright! Let's get this girl up in the air!" cheered Iiguru, as he flipped a few switches on the helicopter control panel, which was located all over the cockpit.

Iiguru and Taka were the two pilots of the Manji Clan's very own multi-task helicopter. Iiguru was a very optimistic fellow, and his co-pilot counterpart, Taka, shared the same optimism. Both were young, lively Manji ninja, ready to jump into action at a moments notice. Yoshimitsu was very glad to have such devoted pilots.

"So, Master, who's all coming along for the ride?" Iiguru asked loudly as he and Taka were adjusting the microphones on their helmets.

"I and a group of twelve," called back Yoshimitsu as he stood outside the cockpit window and looked up at the excited pilot, "Do you think ol' Youkai can handle it?" Yoshimitsu went on to ask in a witty tone, using the helicopter's given nickname.

The Manji helicopter was an incredible machine that could do just about anything the pilots could dream up. Not only did she have a large payload, but she also could carry four air-to-air and two air-to-surface missiles. She was fast, stealthy for her size, and sported twin Vulcan machine guns. Due to her stealth capabilities and black color, she was dubbed Youkai.

Iiguru smiled and gave the yoke an affectionate pat, as if petting a faithful horse.

"She can handle anything, Master."

* * *

The mid-afternoon sun reflected off of the mirror-like glass windows of the city buildings as thousands of people made their way through the crowded city streets below. The sounds of the city were soon accompanied by the distant chopping sound of helicopter blades.

"There it is," shouted Yoshimitsu, as the Manji helicopter made it's way towards the Black Pheasant Syndicate Headquarters Building.

"That's it?!" asked Taka, with a perplexed look on her face, "It looks so normal..."

"Master," shouted Iiguru, as he piloted Youkai closer and closer towards the building, "How should I approach the target?"

"Fly in high and dive down. Take us in as close as you can, then pull back," answered Yoshimitsu.

Iiguru was slightly confused by the order for such a bizarre maneuver, but he trusted that Yoshimitsu knew what he was doing.

The helicopter rocked back and forth as Iiguru increased the throttle. The Manji ninja jolted in their seats while they sat quietly in the back, waiting for the moment to come.

The building was now in plain sight.

"Here we go!" shouted Iiguru, as he quickly approached the building and swiftly pulled up. Then, he sent Youkai into a gut-clenching dive. Everyone aboard stood up next to Yoshimitsu and braced themselves as they neared the reflective surface of the building.

Yoshimitsu opened up the hatch and, at that exact moment, Iiguru pulled back and whipped Youkai around so that the opened hatch was facing the building. Using the momentum of the abrupt halt, the Manji assault force leaped through the chilly air and came crashing through the windows, causing the alarms to go off.

The Manji ninja landed on the marble floor of the wide hallway and then somersaulted into crouched positions, weapons at the ready. Yoshimitsu stood up and looked around. There was a long corridor in front of him and hallways to his left and right. He quickly turned around and nodded to his clan members.

The Manji ninja immediately split up into two groups. Group A, led by Noriko, rushed down the left hallway. Group B, led by Hiroyuki, sprinted down the right. That left Yoshimitsu with the center corridor.

He sighed and thought to himself, 'We better hurry up before this annoying alarm gives us all headaches.'

* * *

The job of both Group A and Group B was simple: engage the Black Pheasants and give them hell. Group A quickly flew down the hallway until they reached a 'fork in the road.' Noriko looked to the left and saw a hallway of doors. He then looked to the right and saw a door that lead to a stairwell.

"Damn..." Noriko swore under his breath as he tried to think of the next move.

Eijumitsu, one of the remaining "old" Manji Clan members pulled a folded piece of paper out of his jacket and showed it to Noriko.

"Master gave this to me. Look here," he showed Noriko a map of the 29th floor. He pointed to a square on the map that read 'Control Room,' "We should go there and turn off the lights."

"Right! Let's go!" Group A quietly took the right hallway and quickly made their way into the stairwell.

* * *

Yoshimitsu decided that the best thing to do would be to go right to the source.

In his mind, he was retracing his steps from his previous visit. He took a deep breath and tried to concentrate, despite the blaring alarm. He knew he had to find out where to go, and fast. He couldn't afford to waste any time.

So Yoshimitsu quickly went to work traveling through countless hallways and stairwells until he ended up at a place that he knew. Sure enough, this familiar place had the same layout as the place where the Manji assault force had made their landing.

Yoshimitsu looked down the left hallway, the center corridor, and then the right.

"Huh..."

At that moment, the alarms went off.

'About damn time...' He sighed as he looked around a little more, 'Something's not right. I should have run into someone by now.'

Just then, since the alarms were now silenced, Yoshimitsu could pick up on a distinct echoing sound. Footsteps, and close.

He looked over and saw a group of Black Pheasants running towards him. The one in the front seemed to be the leader, as the rest of them stopped when he did.

"I'm assuming that you are Yoshimitsu, the leader of the Manji Clan," began Gunsotsu, the leader, as he took a step towards Yoshimitsu.

"You are correct. And you are?" He tightened his grip on his sword and thought to himself, 'I don't have time for this! I need to defeat Lady Dokuja and get everyone out of here before anyone gets hurt!'

Gunsotsu smirked. "I'm Gunsotsu, head of security here." The men behind him drew their swords and began to take cautious steps forward.

Yoshimitsu focused in on Gunsotsu's eyes, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. There was a moment of silence and then... there was a strange sort of chopping sound. It was like a low humming.

The Black Pheasants looked around, trying to find the source of the sound, and let their eyes go back to Yoshimitsu. However, the humming sound persisted.

"What the hell is that?!" came a confused outburst from one of the Black Pheasants.

Yoshimitsu then, to keep their focus on him and not the strange sound, charged at them, seeming to quickly glide.

The Black Pheasants bared their sword and even started to charge when, all of a sudden, Yoshimitsu vanished. The Black Pheasants halted and blinked, as if they were testing their eyes. Then, when the humming sound was very apparent, the Black Pheasants looked passed the point where Yoshimitsu had been and saw something large hovering right outside the window: a black helicopter.

Iiguru and Taka smiled, eyes closed and faces beaming, at the Black Pheasants and waved... all while preparing the machine guns. Taka, laughing, blew a kiss to the intensely confused and terrified Black Pheasants, and the two Manji pilots opened fire on them, devastating the hallway.

A few seconds after the rain of hot lead ceased, Yoshimitsu reappeared and walked out into the middle of the hallway. He went to the window and looked out at the Black Pheasants.

"Hello there, Master!" called Hiroyuki.

Yoshimitsu nodded, "Thank you! You've saved me a lot of time."

"No problem, Master!" shouted Taka. She then looked over to the right to see police cars in the distance, "Yikes, we better go..."

Yoshimitsu nodded. "Try to stay as long as you can and get the others out of here. I'll defeat Dokuja and make my own way back to the Base. Good luck!" He was then gone.

"... Good luck, Master," whispered Iiguru as he piloted Youkai onward.

* * *

"There they are, Ma'am," said Shinryo, a new young man who had taken the late Kenka's place, as he pointed to one of the many T.V. screens, which showed footage from the various security cameras.

Lady Dokuja's eyes lit up with rage when she saw a group of Manji ninja dash across the screen.

"We're all go!" suddenly said a voice coming from the radio at Shinryo's side.

"Ma'am, that was Gunsotsu. Two groups have been released to try to disperse the Manji Clan assault forces."

Lady Dokuja continued to glare at the many T.V. screens and thought to herself, 'Where the fuck is that bastard, Yoshimitsu?!'

Lady Dokuja then stood up and reached for her sword, which was resting on a sword stand on the wall. The scabbard was black and plain, but the blade itself was sharp and fierce.

"While Gunsotsu and the rest are fighting those Manji fools, I'll find Yoshimitsu and deal with him myself," she stated, lifting up her sword and heading towards the door of her office.

'Forget that Manji bitch, Kunimitsu,' Dokuja thought, 'I've been waiting far too long for this.'

At that moment, all of the T.V. screens suddenly went blank.

"What the hell?!" Shinryo quickly brought his radio to his mouth, "Control! Control, come in! This is the Main Office! Control!" A response from the Control Room came in.

"... Your day of judgment has arrived..."

"Damn it!" screamed Lady Dokuja, "They're in the Control Room! Shinryo, come!" Shinryo nodded and followed Dokuja out of the room.

Moments passed, and then the doors suddenly came open and a figure quietly entered the room.

* * *

Group B raced down the hallway, trying to find the Black Pheasants.

'This doesn't feel good at all," thought Hiroyuki to himself as he ran at the head of the group, "They should have found us by now..."

Kitsune, who was also in Group B, suddenly stopped running, causing the whole group to freeze.

"What is it?" asked Hiroyuki, as he turned and walked up to Kitsune.

"Do you hear that?" The Manji ninja listened for any sound. Then they heard it: footsteps.

"The Black Pheasants are close," continued Kitsune, in a whisper.

All of the Manji ninja looked down the hallway and saw the shadows of the Black Pheasants coming from around the corner.

The Black Pheasants turned the corner, only to find an empty hallway. Group B had run back a few meters and found an intersecting hallway that gave them a place to hide. Hiroyuki, back to the wall, edged closer to the hallway that the Pheasants were walking down. He looked across the hallway at Kitsune, who was alone on the other side, and nodded to her.

He, along with all the other Manji ninja, left Kitsune there to wait for the Black Pheasants. She was a little shocked as she saw them leave her behind, but the reason for it came to her and she understood.

Kitsune knelt down low, drew a dagger, and waited for the Black Pheasants to come into view, their footsteps growing louder as they drew near. Then, she saw one step right in front of her. Time seemed to slow as she executed her attack. She waited for the man to take a step forward and put all of his weight on his lead foot. She then cupped the heel of his rear foot in her palm and swept it forward, out from under him. Since all of his weight was already on his lead foot, he couldn't catch himself, so he lost balance and fell backwards. Kitsune then came down on him with her dagger, swiftly plunging it deep into his heart, killing him instantly.

It didn't take long for all of the other Black Pheasants to realize what had just happened. By the time they started shouting and drawing their swords, Kitsune already started dashing down the hallway that her comrades had taken. Although she could easily outrun her pursuers, she chose to run just fast enough so that is was easy for the Black Pheasants to follow her.

Kitsune continued to bolt down the hallway, passing by many identical doors until she spotted one that was open slightly. She then saw a black scarf lying on the floor in the doorway, so she stopped in front of the door.

'This is the place' she thought to herself.

Before entering, Kitsune looked down the hallway to see the Black Pheasants turn the corner. Once she was sure they had seen her, she picked up the black scarf and ran into the room.

When Kitsune entered the room, she found it to be an office of some sort, empty except for the many desks and computers. More than likely used by the Black Pheasant Syndicate to obtain information.

Hiroyuki then appeared from his hiding spot behind a desk and beckoned Kitsune to him. She ran up to the desk and quickly knelt down next to him.

"It worked," whispered Kitsune, "They're coming."

"Right," Hiroyuki said, as he nodded to her. He then looked at his other comrades and said, "Get ready everyone!"

There was dead silence and then the sounds of the Black Pheasants running into the room. They came in suddenly, but then were still once they saw the suspicious tranquility of the office room.

The Manji ninja controlled their breathing so that they were in audible as the Black Pheasants cautiously walked deeper into the room. Just then, to everyone's surprise, the lights went off, making the room dark except for the small lights coming from the computers.

'What the hell?! Well, it works for us, anyway,' thought Hiroyuki, as he prepared to leap out at the Black Pheasants.

One Black Pheasant in particular, a younger man, was growing more nervous and nervous by the second. He knew that there were people in that room who meant to kill him, but the fact that he couldn't see them, or anything else for that matter, made his heart race.

Just as he dared to walk up to a desk, he looked down to see a strange shape that was softly outlined in the glow of the computer light. Then, the horrid face of a demon mask appeared from the strange shape. It had deep, piercing eyes and long, threatening fangs.

The young Black Pheasant couldn't help but let out a shout of fear. At hearing him shout, the Manji ninja, along with the other Manji ninja, shouted a battle cry and leaped from their positions of concealment, ambushing the Black Pheasants.

* * *

"Control! Control, come in, this is the Main Office! Control!" shouted the other voice from the end of the radio, right after Eijumitsu had turned off all of the security cameras.

"Your day of judgment has arrived," Norkio answered bluntly, as he turned off the radio. He then stepped over the dead bodies of the Black Pheasants Control Room operatives and walked up to Eijumitsu.

"That should show them that we're serious, don't you agree? Now, all we need to do is turn off the lights and find Mas-Ugh!" Noriko fell forward as something fast came down on him and struck him in the back of the head, knocking him out cold.

Eijumitsu and the other Manji ninja quickly drew their weapons and looked around frantically, trying to find Noriko's assailant. Suddenly, two other Manji ninja were knocked down by something. That something landed between the two and stood up slowly.

"I-It's you!" Eijumitsu cried out, right before Kunimitsu leaped at him and knocked him out. The other Manji ninja were no match for Kunimitsu as she quickly took them down.

After dealing with everyone in the room, Kunimitsu looked around and tried to think of what they might have been trying to do. She didn't bother turning the cameras back on. That would make Yoshimitsu suspicious, and it would also allow Lady Dokuja to find him.

'They must have come here to mess around with everything, throw the enemy off,' Kunimitsu thought to herself, '...They were going to turn the lights off.'

Kunimitsu walked up to the control panel and found the many switches that controlled the lights in the buildings. Kunimitsu turned all of the lights off and left the room.

'Yoshimitsu, you're next.'

* * *

Hiroyuki grabbed the jacket of the nearest Black Pheasant and threw him into a computer as the battle raged on. In was hard to see in the dark, but the Manji ninja were skilled in such things.

A Black Pheasant pushed his attacker away and slashed blindly at him, missing by a hair. The other Black Pheasants were being quickly defeated until there were only a few left. Kitsune saw a Black Pheasant run at Hiroyuki. Hiroyuki was busy fighting with another Black Pheasant to notice the man coming behind him.

"Hiroyuki!" Kitsune raced to Hiroyuki and cut down the Black Pheasant before he could make his move. Hiroyuki looked back at Kitsune after finishing off the Black Pheasant that he was fighting with. When he looked back, his eyes got wide. The Black Pheasant that Kitsune had just cut down wasn't dead.

"Kitsune!" shouted Hiroyuki, but it was too late.

"Aaaaaah!" Kitsune screamed at the top of her lungs as the cold blade tore through her flesh and sliced through the nerves and bone, ripping all the way through her leg. She fell to the floor and couldn't help but thrash around, holding her thigh in unimaginable pain.

"Kitsune!!!" At hearing Hiroyuki scream, the other Manji ninja glanced over at the sight. Knowing what would come next, all of the Manji ninja suddenly ducked low to the ground.

Furious, Hiroyuki leaped up and reached his hands into his jacket. When he pulled his hands out, they were laden with throwing knives. He let out a shout and threw dozens of knives in all directions. Everyone but the Manji ninja were struck down in a horrific instant.

When Hiroyuki landed back on his feet, he suddenly felt very tired. He ran, stumbling, over to Kitsune and used his black jacket as a means to bind Kitsune's large wound. Kitsune, exhausted from pain and fighting, passed out.

"Kitsune!" Hiroyuki checked her pulse, frantically, to make sure she was still alive, "We have to leave! We have to get her out of here!"

"I'll call Iiguru and Taka!" hastily replied one of the Manji ninja as he pulled up a radio.

* * *

Lady Dokuja and Shinryo walked hurriedly down the hallways, searching for the Manji ninja. As the two turned a corner, the lights suddenly went off.

"Damn it!" cursed Lady Dokuja. Without moving, she gave a quick order to Shinryo, and he left immediately. She turned slowly, enraged.

'Fucking Yoshimitsu!!!' she screamed in her mind as she headed back to her office.

Dokuja opened the door and pulled open a hatch on the wall. She hit a switch, turning the emergency lights on in her room and walked deeper into the large office.

Dokuja's large office chair suddenly turned around to reveal a seated Yoshimitsu, sword in hand. Dokuja jumped back a little in surprise.

"Hello Lady Dokuja," calmly began Yoshimitsu, "You made a big mistake when you brought me here a while back. You see, you didn't have your men blindfold me. One look around was all it took for me to be able to find my way here."

"You fucker!" spat Dokuja, as she brought up her sheathed sword. Without taking her eyes off of Yoshimitsu, she reached for the hilt, violently drew the sword in one quick motion, and threw the sheath on the ground.

Yoshimitsu stood up, placed a foot on the desk, and leaped over it in a single bound. He landed and started slowly stepping towards Dokuja, who was stepping towards him as well.

"This is where we end this! Your greed and lust for revenge has twisted your mind! You have lost your soul!"

"I'll kill you!" suddenly screamed Dokuja as she ran up to Yoshimitsu and slashed at him. Yoshimitsu blocked her attack and pushed her back. She then started stepping back towards the door.

'She's not getting away!' thought Yoshimitsu, as he charged towards her. Yoshimitsu attacked twice, the first being blocked and the last cutting Dokuja's shoulder. She screamed in pain and lunged at Yoshimitsu, who evaded the lunge with a back-handspring.

Seeing this as her only chance to flee, Dokuja turned and ran into the hallway. Yoshimitsu quickly ran after her. Dokuja ran up flight after flight of stairs until she eventually reached the roof. Lady Dokuja hid behind the heavy door as it remained open, in wait of Yoshimitsu.

Yoshimitsu ran out onto the roof and gazed around for Dokuja. It was now dark, so there were no shadows to give off her hiding place. He tried to listen for her breathing and even searched around for body heat, but the loud, steaming vents clouded his senses of sight and sound.

Yoshimitsu stepped away from the door and towards the edge of the rooftop. Dokuja suddenly pushed the door aside and took a step towards Yoshimitsu. However, instead of baring her sword, she drew something from her suit: a black handgun. Yoshimitsu, sensing her movement, quickly turned around to face her.

Before Yoshimitsu had time to react, Dokuja fired and hit him dead center in the middle of his forehead, sending him falling head over heals on his back. Luckily, his new bulletproof armor worked, and the bullet ricocheted off of his helmet. But still, he wasn't quite accustomed to receiving such a blow. He was sprawled out on his back, trying to regain control of his senses.

Dokuja, smirking evilly, walked up to Yoshimitsu and knelt down beside him. She took the handgun and, starting at the crotch of Yoshimitsu's suit, let the barrel of the gun scrape across the armor lightly as she dragged it up to Yoshimitsu's throat. She let out a laugh. Yoshimitsu tensed up as he tried to get away, but couldn't. Feeling Dokuja's hands on him made him squirm.

"It's almost a shame, to waste such a perfectly good body," she smirked and leaned in close, whispering, "I mean sure, you're a little banged up and, of course, a cyborg. But, you're still a man, nonetheless. I'm sure I could've found a use for you." Laughs cruelly. "You and Kunimitsu have quite a history, don't you? I bet you two had a lot of fun..."

At hearing this, Yoshimitsu became furious. Normally, he would keep his composure and think clearly, but not now. Dokuja had gone too far. He looked deep into her cold eyes and roared, "You evil, sadistic bitch!"

At that moment, Yoshimitsu spit out a small mist of purple-colored acid. Being a cyborg, Yoshimitsu had the ability to store acid in a section of his upper body and use it as a surprise attack, and in definitely surprised Dokuja.

"Aaaaah! My eyes!! You son of a bitch!!" Dokuja screamed as she leaped up to her feet, rubbing her irritated eyes as pain pounded through them.

She forced her eyes open and glared down at Yoshimitsu, gun still in hand. Her eyes were burning red, with anger and pain. She raised the gun up, hands shaking with fury, and pointed it at Yoshimitsu. The extent of her rage was now fully exposed.

"I-I'm going to kill you, you bastard!!!!"

Yoshimitsu, still unable to move quickly, closed his eyes and waited for his fate. It was dark, and then he heard a gunshot. It echoed for a few seconds, and then the sound of the cars rushing by below once again flowed into his ears.

He opened his eyes to see Dokuja still standing above him. Although, something about her was different. The malice and hatred that once tinted her expression was now gone. Her eyes were actually filled with surprise.

Yoshimitsu took another look at her and noticed that she was grasping at her chest, which was drenched with blood. Dokuja looked at Yoshimitsu for a moment and opened her mouth as if to mutter something. She let out a small, defeated groan and fell to the side, dead.

As Dokuja fell, Yoshimitsu saw that Kunimitsu was standing behind her, gun in hand. She threw the gun to the side as if she was disgusted with it. She then looked over at Dokuja's body and spoke in a bitter, sardonic voice.

"I already told you, Lady Dokuja, _I_ am the one who's going to kill Yoshimitsu."

At seeing her, Yoshimitsu forced himself, up, still feeling a little shaken. He picked up the sword of the Manji Clan and faced Kunimitsu.

"Kunimitsu!" He couldn't bring himself to say anything but that.

"This is where you and I settle this. I swear, I will kill you." She stepped closer and drew up her dagger.

"Kunimitsu... Please, step down. We don't have to do this... Don't you remember!" He stepped closer to her, showing his seriousness, "Don't you remember how it was back then! Didn't that mean anything to you at all! Please, Kunimitsu! Please tell me that our past was more than fights and philandering!"

Kunimitsu froze for a moment as she remembered the past. She remembered the helicopter rides with the rest of the Manji Clan as they went to their next job, the next corrupt business. She thought about training with Yoshimitsu and the others and learning the art of the Manji ninja. She remembered how she and Yoshimitsu would joke with each other, always trying to best the other in skill. She remembered the nights after victory, how Yoshimitsu would make her feel so great...

"... That's all over now..." Kunimitsu muttered, then shouted, "That was nothing! I hate you!"

"... So be it." Yoshimitsu braced his sword out in front of him and prepared for the fight.

Kunimitsu shouted and charged at him. Yoshimitsu blocked her attack and pushed her back. He then dashed in to feign a punch, but he leaped into the air and came down on her with his sword. She fell back and disappeared, causing him to miss and land on his feet. He quickly turned around, bringing his sword with him.

Yoshimitsu slashed at the air, kitting something hard, like steel. Kunimitsu appeared as she blocked Yoshimitsu's attack. She ducked down low and, pivoting with her hand, she swung her legs around in a trip-kick. Yoshimitsu jumped back with a spin.

Yoshimitsu then charged at her with a volley of quick slashes.

"Haaaaa!" screamed Kunimitsu, as she back-flipped to avoid Yoshimitsu's attacks. When she came to the end of her flips, she found herself balancing on... the back of a stone gargoyle.

Yoshimitsu froze and absorbed the moment. He looked around in shock as he felt the fire burning in his heart. He knew this. He knew what was going to happen.

"Kunimitsu!" he called out as he ran towards her. He wasn't about to let her go. Not this time.

Kunimitsu let her guard down in surprise.

'Why is he running towards me like that?' she thought. At that moment, she felt a chill down her spine and in her heart. She felt sadness. A deep grief. She realized that she never wanted things to be this way. She didn't want to-

"What do you think you're doing!" suddenly roared a deep voice. Kunimitsu turned around and was suddenly taken aback by a powerful hand around her throat. She gasped and clawed at the hand as Devil lifted her up. He glared at her. "I've given you time! I've given you the power of hatred so that you could kill Yoshimitsu and take the sword! And what do you do! You hesitate!!"

Kunimitsu cried out and kicked, trying to escape. She felt the desperation of constantly trying to escape from what she had become. Years of it, all swelled up inside of her to explode at this moment.

"Kunimitsu!" Yoshimitsu ran and leaped up to them, intent on striking Devil down.

Devil seemed to fall backwards, bringing Kunimitsu down with him. She screamed and kicked, wanting to get away from the evil in her heart.

No longer hesitating, Yoshimitsu ran to the edge. There was no reaching out this time. He kept running and dove off the edge of the roof.

The three fell down, passing the many mirrored windows. As Yoshimitsu fell, he could hear the wind whistling in his ears, so loudly that it was almost unbearable. He saw the glowing stream of cars getting closer and closer. He had to do something before it was too late.

"Yoshimitsu!!!" desperately screamed Kunimitsu as she reached out to her former leader. Devil laughed and pulled Kunimitsu down farther, flapping his large wings, making the two plunge faster and faster down to the cold, hard pavement.

"Hahahaha! You cannot save her from her fate!" shouted Devil, laughing evilly.

Just then, Yoshimitsu felt warmth in his heart. He then felt a smooth hand on his hand that held the sword. He looked at the delicate hand and followed the arm with his eyes until he saw the pure face of an Angel. She was right behind Yoshimitsu, holding onto his waist and holding the sword with him.

The two looked at Devil as he kept his firm grip on Kunimitsu's arm. Devil, seeing that Angel was there, became enraged. Yoshimitsu and Angel drew the sword back and, Yoshimitsu shouted out at Devil.

"You say I cannot save her! Just watch me!!!"

At that moment, Yoshimitsu and Angel hurled the sword straight at Devil, impaling him in the chest. Devil's eyes grew wide as he roared and shrieked in pain and rage. He released Kunimitsu, cursing at Yoshimitsu and Angel.

"I swear!! I'll be back!! You can never escape from me!!" Devil warned as he disappeared into the shadows. Kunimitsu looked over at the sword and instantly snatched it out of the air. She gazed at it for a moment, but then looked up at Yoshimitsu, remembering where she was.

Yoshimitsu fell faster than Kunimitsu, taking her in his arms and the sword in his hand. Kunimitsu clung to him, speechless. Yoshimitsu saw the ground getting closer and closer every second. He opened his wings. This was the time.

Angel looked at Kunimitsu and smiled. She then faded away, and it seemed like the two powers weren't ever there.

Yoshimitsu tried to pull up, but it was very difficult. He started to panic, but he thought of what had just happened. Kunimitsu was with him. He had to save the both of them now.

He pulled up and, as if he was made for flight, the two soared up into the canopy of the city, amongst the bright, neon lights.

They were going extremely fast as they flew passed scores of buildings. Yoshimitsu could hear people call out in surprise as they saw the two fly by in a blur. Kunimitsu now came to her senses, realizing what was happening.

"Aaaah! Damn it, Yoshimitsu! Put me down!!" She commanded as she took the horn on Yoshimitsu's helmet in both hands and shook his head back and forth, "Land, damn you!!"

"Uaaa! Kunimitsu, be still! I can't-" Yoshimitsu was cut off as he tried his best to dodge a neon sign. He clipped his knee on the sign, leaving a gash. The two then started to spiral out of control.

They hit the pavement fairly hard, sending Kunimitsu and Yoshimitsu sprawling out on the sidewalk. Kunimitsu's legs where a little torn up, but nothing completely serious. She laid there, too tired to get up. Yoshimitsu quickly got to his feet, eager to escape the shocked stares of the people around him. He ran up to Kunimitsu and looked down at her to see if she was alright.

Kunimitsu opened her eyes and, looking up at Yoshimitsu, said, "He's... He's gone... That Devil... I feel... free."

"Come on, Kunimitsu," began Yoshimitsu, speaking in a tone that he had not used with her for over twenty years, "Let's go home..."

For what seemed like the first time in ages, Kunimitsu smiled behind the cover of her byakko mask. She took Yoshimitsu's hand and he pulled her up to her feet. The two ninja then disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Author's Note: Well, that was Chapter 5. I really hope it was worth the near 10 month wait. Like I said, I had a lot going on... But anyway, if it wasn't good, you have my permission to smite me... Well, until that time, I'll be working on Chapter 6. Thanks for reading! (And reviews are always welcome!)


	6. Chapter 6: Line Between Love and Hate

Reply to Reviews:

To PurpleCobra247: Action-packed and cool? Thank you! I really like that! And the thought that you don't mind the huge intervals between each update gives me extreme relief. Thank you.

Gamer92740: Thank you for the nice review, Gamer, and I'm so sorry for another long wait.

Tenshimitsu: Wow, you really think this is good enough for a Yoshimitsu shrine? I'm honored, thank you!

To lilcool567: Hey lilcool! Thank you so much for reading my fanfic and giving me such great reviews. I really appreciate all of it!

Author's Note: Sadly, my friends, this is the last chapter of my fanfic. It has been a long, hard road full of late nights and triumphs over agonizing writer's block, but I have finally prevailed, and it's all thanks to you. Thank you all for your continued support. After reading this, if you decide that you like what you've read, keep your heads up, because I have plenty more ideas for other fanfics. And now, please enjoy the sixth and final chapter.

Chapter 6: The Line Between Love and Hate

Kunimitsu looked up at the sky, trying to find the moon, which was hidden by the clouds and stark branches of the trees. She sighed and continued following Yoshimitsu through the dark forest. The leaves that had already fallen were blown around in the slight breeze, carpeting the forest floor.

Everything seemed so surreal to her, as if she was having a strange, dark dream. Suddenly, she felt a gloved hand on her shoulder. She looked over and saw the glowing eyes of Yoshimitsu's skeletal mask.

"Don't worry, we're almost there," Yoshimitsu told her, as they walked past a cluster of ancient trees.

Yoshimitsu didn't have to tell Kunimitsu that they were almost there. Even in the dark, she already knew that. What he really needed to emphasis was the phrase "Don't worry." All this time, Kunimitsu's interactions with the Manji Clan had been laced with hate and violence. She was now heading to their stronghold, hoping that they wouldn't lynch her.

Kunimitsu shook her head, trying to get these thoughts of fear out of her mind. She hated being afraid. She no longer wanted to lead the life she had been leading for years and years.

"Kunimitsu."

Kunimitsu stopped in her tracks and looked over at Yoshimitsu, who was barely visible in his dark, sleek armor.

"What?" she asks, matching her voice with that of the wind's.

"We're here."

Yoshimitsu pushed aside a few moss-covered branches and lead Kunimitsu out of the forest. She then realized that the two of them were standing at the edge of a large clearing. She looked around at all the moonlight-laced buildings. Everyone was inside, asleep, so it was tranquil and quiet. Kunimitsu stood there for a moment, breathing quietly. She then nodded and took her first peaceful steps into the Manji Clan Base.

* * *

Yoshimitsu had taken Kunimitsu to the Main Building, where she could find a room to sleep in for the night. She found the room to be strange, yet familiar all at once. Once Yoshimitsu had left, she sat down on the tatami mattress and fell backwards, sighing in enormous relief. 

Kunimitsu looked around the room, her eyes growing more and more accustomed to the darkness of the room.

'What am I doing here?' she thought to herself.

However, before Kunimitsu could begin to contemplate an answer to her own question, she started to drift off into a deep sleep.

Yoshimitsu, knowing that there were wounded Manji ninja, headed to the Medical Quarters. When he got to the building, he looked up as he noticed someone standing outside of one of the rooms, looking out at the stars as they gripped the railing of the balcony. It was Hiroyuki.

Yoshimitsu entered the building and, after climbing a few staircases, he found the room. He knocked softly and then entered, finding Kitsune sleeping in a hospital bed, her oni mask replaced with an oxygen mask. Yoshimitsu looked at the outline of her body underneath the white blanket, and he saw the void where her leg once was. He sighed and walked out to Hiroyuki.

Hiroyuki leaned against the railing, a cigarette dangling from his lips loosely, giving him a brooding, careless look. Yoshimitsu exhaled and let the silence fill his mind for a while before speaking.

"... Hiroyuki... I... I'm sorry about Kistune... I'm sorry about everything."

Hiroyuki looked over at Yoshimitsu, a dull, hopeless glaze over his eyes.

"Master... You have nothing to apologize for. These sorts of things are what's to be expected. We have to make sacrifices to do what we think is right. You've taught us all that..." Hiroyuki tightened his grip on the railing, only letting go to take the cigarette and give it a flick, sending the ashes spiraling into the cold air. Yoshimitsu stood next to Hiroyuki, leaning on the railing as well as he looks up into the sky.

"Hiro... My dear friend, Hiro." Yoshimitsu placed his hand on Hiroyuki's shivering shoulder, and at that simple, meaningful show of compassion, Hiroyuki's walls came down and, against his iron will, his emotions were let loose. Hiroyuki tossed the cigarette away and covered his face with a free hand.

"I-I should have been more... more careful!" He gasped the words, his breath strangled from sobs. "It's a-all my fault that... Kitsune, she..."

Yoshimitsu continued to grip Hiroyuki's shoulder, and he replied, "No, Hiro. It's not your fault. You, Kitsune, and every other clan member did the best you all could. I'm proud of you. I'm so very proud of you all."

After a few moments, Hiroyuki composed himself, thankful for his master, his friend's support. Yoshimitsu led Hiroyuki back into the room and out of the cold air.

"Hiroyuki," began Yoshimitsu, as he sat in one of the simple chairs, "Although Kitsune still needs your support, it's I who will be helping her get past this immense obstacle that fate has thrown in her path."

"Obstacle? What do you mean?" Hiroyuki sat in the chair directly beside Kitsune's bed.

Yoshimitsu, leaning back a little, held his left arm up and looked at it closely. With the armor on, his left arm looked just the same as his right, but underneath that armor, the story was very different.

"I remember when I lost my arm, Hiroyuki. I could never forget something like that. It was very painful, yes, but nothing could compare to the pain and agony of what came next." Yoshimitsu reflected on what it was like to first use his robotic arm. The nerves in his left arm were attached to the prosthetic nerves of the robotic arm, and it had been very painful to move it. However, after a while of training, it became second nature. Kitsune would need his help with that.

* * *

"Master!" exclaimed the Manji ninja, the next morning, when they saw that Yoshimitsu had returned and was alright, save for a few injuries. 

Yoshimitsu continued to walk down the large stairs of the Main Building, glad to have at least gotten a few moments of rest after his visit with Hiroyuki. The Manji ninja ran up to him and knelt before him on the stairs. He was greatly reassured to see familiar faces, to know that they were all alright after the battle that raged yesterday.

After a few moments of discussing, the Manji Clan proceeded with their normal routines of helping the needy. It was very difficult to immediately resume life as if nothing happened, but it was what had to be done in this world of theirs.

Later that day, when the sky was the color of lead and the sun barely shone through the mask of the clouds, Kunimitsu awoke. She sat up suddenly and looked around, remembering where she was and what had happened the night before.

She rose slowly, making sure to pick up her dagger, which she had placed at the side of the tatami mat. After placing her mask back on her face, Kunimitsu quietly walked towards the door and, listening for footsteps, she slid the door open.

Kunimitsu peered down the hallways and, sensing that no one was near, she stepped out of the room. The two things that were on her mind were a bath and food. After that, she would try to make her escape. She thought about it all last night, and this just wasn't where she belonged. It was impossible to return to the way things were, so she would just leave as soon as she could. That was the plan she had concocted, but the more and more she saw her old home, the less certainty she felt about her plan.

Kunimitsu made her way out of the Main Building and into the bathhouse. The air in the bathhouse was thick with moisture and warmth, compared to the dry, cold air outside. She undressed and sunk into the hot water, clenching her teeth as to not let out a loud sigh of relief. Kunimitsu, smirking a little, realized that she still had her mask on. She took it off and placed it to the side, setting it gently on the stone floor.

Kunimitsu then relaxed her whole body as she tried to think clearly. She still couldn't believe where she was. All those years, she thought of nothing else but revenge, and now that the deep, dark feelings of hatred were gone, she didn't know what to think.

But it wasn't like all of her feelings were gone. It's impossible to completely wash away such deep feelings of jealousy and contempt.

Kunimitsu merely sighed as she began to wash her hair.

* * *

"Mr. Yoshimitsu! You're back!!" shouted little Hakujitsu as he broke into a run at seeing that Yoshimitsu had returned safely. 

Yoshimitsu smiled and knelt down, holding his arms out to hug Hakujitsu. Hakujitsu nearly knocked Yoshimitsu over as he embraced him.

"I missed you, Mr. Yoshimitsu! I thought you were dead too!" he exclaimed.

"What? Me, die? No way." Yoshimitsu placed a hand on Hakujitsu's head. Hakujitsu looked up at Yoshimitsu's skeletal mask and smiled.

"Now," continued Yoshimitsu, in a cheerful voice, "Why don't you go on a mission and find Harper for me. Try to sneak up on him, okay?"

Hakujitsu gleamed at the idea of being sent on a mission under the direct orders of Yoshimitsu. He nodded and quickly rushed into the crowd of people that always seemed to envelop the Manji Clan Complex.

Yoshimitsu then smiled from behind his mask, glad that Hakujitsu was feeling better after all that had happened. Seeing that Hakujitsu was alright, Yoshimitsu decided to take a walk through the forest to clear his mind.

Yoshimitsu sighed as he walked through the forest. Everything seemed so quiet when compared to the previous chaos in his life. He felt a huge relief now that the ordeal with the Black Pheasants was finally over, but something else lingered. There was still something that needed to be settled, but Yoshimitsu didn't know how to go about it. He shrugged and decided that a relaxing, hot bath in the bathhouse would help him better clear his mind to discover the problem.

When Yoshimitsu reached the bathhouse, he removed his suit and clothes in a special room just for that, and then he covered himself with a large, white towel. He then walked out into the main bathing room. The air was steamy, and the mist made his skin moist and precipitated on the metal of his cybernetic arm. The steam and fog inside of the bathhouse was so thick that it was hard for him to see, even with his cybernetic eyes.

Yoshimitsu sighed quietly as he slid down into the hot spring, but then he suddenly jumped when his foot touched that of another's. Kunimitsu gasped in shock and jumped a little as well, opening her eyes to see Yoshimitsu sitting across from her.

Yoshimitsu covered the lower half of his face in shock, stammering, "Wh-What are you doing here?"

Kunimitsu snatched a towel and covered herself with it, sitting as low in the hot water as she could.

"I-It's a bathhouse, isn't it? What do you think I'm doing?" she asked, trying to sound as angry as possible.

Yoshimitsu looked up at the wall, as if he was trying to memorize the designs in the tile.

"... Oh... Well... I'll leave." Yoshimitsu used his free arm to wrap the towel around his waist as he began to get out. Kunimitsu sat up a little.

"Wait... Yoshimitsu, thank you... for saving me..."

This shocked Yoshimitsu, so he sat back down into the water, still holding the soaked towel. He's silent for a moment.

"You're welcome, Kunimitsu..."

Kunimitsu let out a sigh, feeling relieved to finally tell him that she really did appreciate it. Not knowing what else to say, she looked down at the hot, bubbling water.

"Yoshimitsu... You've... changed a lot."

Yoshimitsu nodded and replied, "Yes, I have." Kunimitsu looked up at him, peering into his eyes.

"Yoshimitsu... Did it hurt? The transformation?" Kunimitsu couldn't stop thinking about the time she saw all of those wires in Yoshimitsu's back. It was unnerving and surreal.

Yoshimitsu thought of the surgery. He remembered lying on the table, a gas mask on his uncovered face. The bright lights and the cold metal and a drugged sleep. He remembered waking up, every single part of him in pain. He remembered not being able to move, open his eyes, or even breath fully. He remembered feeling that there were things in his body that weren't there before. He was terrified, not really remembering why he was there, but then he heard Dr. Bosconovich's comforting voice.

The doctor helped Yoshimitsu wake up, and when Yoshimitsu opened his eyes, he saw red. Everything was red and the muscles around his eyes ached so badly that he was certain tears would form in his eyes, but he no longer had tear ducts, not needing them anymore. He would no longer be able to cry. It hurt to take a breath, and he couldn't talk. Finally, when he was strong enough to utter words, it wasn't his normal voice. It was harsh-sounding and mechanic. But this is what it took to prolong his life. This would give him more time to help those in need.

Yoshimitsu looked over at Kunimitsu, remembering her question.

"Yes. It hurt a lot."

Kunimitsu looks down at the water, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. There was just too much that has happened to have a conversation with him. Things would never be the same as they were 20 years ago.

"Kunimitsu."

Kunimitsu suddenly looked up at him, a bit surprised. "Yes?"

"Your hair is darker."

Kunimitsu smiled a little and touched her long hair.

"Yeah... The red wore out." It had been a fun, childish thing they did years ago. To show their friendship, they decided to do something bizarre and fun: dye their hair bright red. Yoshimitsu still kept his in after all this time...

After the bath, and a bit of tricky maneuvering, they dressed and went on their separate ways. Kunimitsu wanted to go somewhere that she hadn't been to in years. She made her away around the Manji Complex, traveling on the outskirts of the encampment to avoid running into the Manji ninja. Kunimitsu remembered that Dr. Bosconovich not only had a lab in his home, which was some distance away, but that he also had a workshop there at the Manji Clan Base.

When Kunimitsu made it to the workshop, she paused at the door and let out deep sigh. She hadn't run into any Manji Clan members yet, but now she was certain that she was going to confront one. She just hoped they wouldn't be angry with her.

Kunimitsu then stepped into the workshop, and as soon as she did, the man sitting on a stool at a workbench, his back facing her, stopped his work and lifted his head up. He was still for a moment and then he let out a laugh.

"Oh my," he began, "Kunimitsu! I was wondering when you'd get back." He hadn't even looked at her. Kunimitsu stepped deeper into the old workshop.

"Hello Yorumitsu. It's been a long time."

"Oh, has it?" He tilted his head, "I hadn't noticed. Well, the air conditioner you fixed is still working just fine!"

Kunimitsu smiled behind her mask as she looked at the air conditioner in the wall, the one she had repaired nearly twenty years ago. The white ribbons she had tied to it were still on, showing that the air was blowing through it. Then were now faded with age.

"Oh!" continued Yuromitsu, "And that small engine you were working on is still in its place. I didn't want to move it so it would be there for you." He pointed to another workbench, and on it sat a small engine covered in twenty years of dust and cobwebs. This made Kunimitsu laugh.

Yuromitsu then swiveled his stool around to face her, but not to look at her. He was blind, and his eyes were covered with a dark blue sash. A plain oni mask was then placed over that, covering his entire face. As Kunimitsu looked at him intently, she could see the dark blue fabric through the holes meant for Yuromitsu's eyes. He smiled, stood, and gave her a nod. Even after all that she had done, he was still her friend.

Kunimitsu sighed and bowed to him, thankful that he would still be there for her like he always had.

"You know, Yuro-san," began Kunimitsu, "This isn't going to be easy for me."

"Do the others know?" asked Yuromitsu, as he stood up from his work place, "They're the ones who are going to give you the most trouble..."

* * *

Kitsune groaned a little as she woke up, her head pounding and her lower body numb. Her vision was blurring and it took a little while for it to adjust, but when it did, Hiroyuki's form came into view as he stood by her side 

"Kitsune... Are you feeling okay?" Hiroyuki asked as he looked down at her, touching her face gently.

"H-... Hiroyuki... Wh-... Where am I?" She closed her eyes, groaning at the immense pain in her left leg. She tried to move it, but the pain just got worse. Hiroyuki then took her hand.

"Kitsune, you leg... You leg was sliced off, in the battle. You had to be rushed to the medical quarters, and... Well, while you were asleep it was decided that, since the Manji Clan couldn't afford to lose a member of your stature, your leg had to be... replaced."

Kitsune blinked more, trying to clear her head. "What? Replaced?" She forced herself up, gritting her teeth in pain. When she rose to a sitting position, she looked around the room and saw that she was in Dr. Bosconovich's laboratory. It was one of the more secluded, experimental rooms. There were tools scattered everywhere, along with all sorts of cybernetic parts. Kitsune then managed to push the white sheet that was covering her down enough to see her legs. What she saw shocked her. While her right leg was fine, her left leg was very bruised from the injury, which was to be expected. However, it wasn't the bruises that surprised her. It was what was next to her bruised skin. The rest of her leg was completely mechanic. She could see all of the slim metal nerves as her new robotic foot twitched. She gasped, lying back down.

"H-Hiro... My leg, it's... I have a robotic leg!" She couldn't believe it. How could she let this happen? She just couldn't believe it!

"Kitsune, it's what had to be done. Your other leg couldn't be recovered..." Hiroyuki didn't know what Kitsune really thought about all of this. Was she happy to be alive? Was she upset at the fact that her life will never be the same?

Kitsune continued to lay there in silence, her eyes closed. She thought about it for a long while, with Hiroyuki at her side in that plain room, and she came to the conclusion that what was best for the Manji Clan was best for her.

'I couldn't possibly be of any help without both of my legs,' thought Kitsune, as she stared up at the ceiling, 'This is for the best. I can still assist him... my master.'

As if on cue, there was a knock on the door and then it opened slowly. Yoshimitsu stepped into the lab and looked at the two of them, nodding. He closed the door to the lab and stepped closer, taking Kitsune's hand.

"How are you feeling, Kitsune? Is your head clear?"

Kitsune nodded and replied with a quick, "Yes, Master." She closed her eyes as she gripped his hand tightly.

"I know more than anyone that it hurts, Kitsune, but you have to be strong. You have to learn how to get passed the pain so that you can make it stronger."

Kitsune nodded. With that, Yoshimitsu helped her sit up, being careful to keep her medical gown intact and to keep her leg from being agitated. Kitsune let out a gasp as her bare feet touched the cold floor. With Yoshimitsu holding her up on one side and Hiroyuki on the other, Kitsune began to make her first painful steps with her new leg.

* * *

Yoshimitsu began to breathe heavier as he jogged down the small forest path. He had exchanged his battle-weary beetle suit for a much looser, common outfit. He had on a black hunting jacket and black pantaloons, what most of the other Manji ninja wore. His breath puffed out through the grinning mouth of his oni mask as he continued to jog through the chilly air. 

After a jogging for a few more meters, he came upon a small byakko statue situated next to a small brook. Yoshimitsu decided to take a break and he sat down next to the statue, closing his eyes. He sat there, meditating, and listened to the sounds around him. The voice of the brook was very bubbly, and it was fun to listen to what it had to say.

As Yoshimitsu sat there, restful, he noticed that he felt much better than before. Gone were the bogged down, stressful feelings that he obtained whenever the moment was grave or serious. Now, he could relax and think things through much more clearly. He felt like smiling, actually.

Just when Yoshimitsu began to feel himself reaching are more pure form of meditation, he heard the snapping of twigs and the crunching of leaves. When he opened his eyes, he looked over his right shoulder and saw a Manji ninja jogging towards him.

"Master," began the ninja, as he bowed, "I have a message for you. It's from the Mishima Zaibastu!" As he rose, the Manji ninja held a very formal-looking, white envelope out to Yoshimitsu.

"Oh?" Yoshimitsu rose to his feet, interested. He took the envelope and replied, "Thank you. You may return to the base now." The messenger ninja bowed and headed back to the base, disappearing amongst the bare trees.

Yoshimitsu looked down at the envelope, thinking. Whatever came from the Mishima Zaibatsu, as he knew, was always something tainted. He definitely didn't need any trouble then, what with all the stresses of the Manji Clan. They were running out of food and manpower, especially with the recent deaths. He had to find some sort of solution, and fast. Otherwise, many refugees would starve to death and be dead by spring.

Yoshimitsu decided to make his way back to the Manji Complex, still holding the envelope. He looked it over again and, finally, decided to open it.

"To Yoshimitsu of the Manji Clan," Yoshimitsu began, reading it to himself aloud, "You've been cordially invited to the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4. The paperwork enclosed in this invitation must be completed and filled as soon as possible, along with the usual entrance fee. Also enclosed is a plane ticket to the location of your first round.

"The prize of the upcoming King of Iron Fist tournament, as ordered by the great Mishima Heihachi, is... the entire Mishima Zaibatsu, along with its resources and assets." He stops in his tracks. Yoshimitsu read the invitation over again to make sure he was getting this all correctly. He couldn't believe it, still.

'Why on Earth would Heihachi forfeit his entire organization all to the winner of the tournament? Is he trying to lure someone out? It couldn't possibly be a trap for me; that devil has bigger fish to fry,' Yoshimitsu thought, as he took a look at the entrance forms, 'Still, this is too good to pass up. If I win this tournament, I can use the power of the Mishima Zaibatsu to help further the goals of the Manji Clan. We could finally make a huge difference in the world..."

"I have to win at all costs!" Yoshimitsu declared. He heads back to the Manji Complex, determined.

* * *

Kunimitsu, seeing that the Manji Complex began to stir with activity, decided to stay hidden inside of the room she was given. However, the more and more she waited in silence, the more her thoughts picked at her conscience. Bored, Kunimitsu decided to venture out on the Main Building, hoping nothing bad would happen. 

As Kunimitsu walked down the large steps of the Main Building entrance, she got many looks from Manji ninja standing nearby. Luckily, none of them knew who she was, not being around long enough to remember the great feud between her and Yoshimitsu.

Yoshimitsu passed under one of the gateways at the edge of the Manji Complex, still holding the invitation. From his position, he could see Kunimitsu walking down the steps.

'She's showing herself already?' thought Yoshimitsu, as he picked up his pace. He was worried, considering that many of the Manji Clan members didn't know Kunimitsu was here under peaceful circumstances. If they saw her now, they might get the wrong idea.

Kunimitsu looked around the bustling complex, surprised at how many people there were. She noted on how many new buildings they had. The place had grown.

Nearby, helping to file and categorize supplies from a newly arrived truck, Noriko stood and looked over his clipboard. However, he caught someone different walking down the Main Build steps. He looked up and, to his furious shock, he recognized this person as Kunimitsu.

"That's all of it, Noriko, but I don't think-..." started a Manji ninja, who was surprised to see Noriko drop his clipboard and walk away unexpectedly, "Noriko?"

Noriko, looking like a man on a mission, marched towards Kunimitsu with clenched fists. Kunimitsu, recognizing Noriko as a Manji Clan ninja from her past, stood still, not knowing what to expect. As Noriko drew closer, he raised a fist.

"You treacherous bitch!" shouted Noriko as he suddenly took a swing at Kunimitsu, jarring her in the side of the head. Kunimitsu, not expecting to be attacked so soon, stumbled backwards and fell on her back.

Nearby Manji ninja looked towards the scene, all wondering what happened. Kunimitsu quickly brought herself to her feet and gripped her dagger. As she stood there, she saw more Manji ninja walk up to Noriko's side. They recognized her, too.

"How've got a lot of nerve, Kunimitsu, showing yourself here after all that you've done!" shouted Noriko, as he and the other Manji ninja glared at her.

Feeling threatened, Kunimitsu raise her dagger in defense. As the Manji ninja encroached upon her more, she was preparing to slash at them. However, before the situation could get worse, Yoshimitsu appeared. He stood between Kunimitsu and Noriko, holding them from each other.

"Stop this," ordered Yoshimitsu, looking back and forth at Kunimitsu and Noriko.

"Master, you know who this is! She tried to kill you before and she'll do it again!" retorted Noriko, along with the other Manji ninja.

"Back off!" shouted Kunimitsu, as she swatted Yoshimitsu's hand away.

"Master, what's wrong? What's going on?" asked Hiroyuki, who had been standing nearby. He walked up to the group, standing next to Yoshimitsu.

"Nothing is wrong, Hiroyuki. Isn't that right?" Yoshimitsu looked at Noriko, who remembered himself and bowed to his master.

"Forgive me, Master, but why is this traitorous wench here?!" asked Noriko, as the other Manji ninja standing next to him bowed to Yoshimitsu and went back to work.

"Noriko, you old son of a bitch!" Kunimitsu spat in anger, "You're lucky I-!"

"Kunimtisu!" Yoshimitsu took her arm and began dragging her away, heading towards a quieter end of the Manji Clan Complex. Kunimitsu was quick to pull her arm out of Yoshimitsu's grasp, but she continued to walk away with him. Hiroyuki, newer to the Manji Clan and therefore unaware of it's complete history with Kunimitsu, merely shrugged and returned to his work.

"I have it in my right mind just to leave if this is what's going to happen!" declared Kunimitsu, her footsteps padding down the already hard, cold ground. She followed alongside Yoshimitsu as they walked through the Southern Sector.

Yoshimitsu sighed and crossed his lean, powerful arms as he walked beside his longtime rival.

"Kunimitsu, you must have patience... Stop freaking out!" Yoshimitsu quickened his pace, leaving Kunimitsu behind a few paces.

Kunimitsu was suddenly surprised at that last, frustrated remark. It was a glimmer of Yoshimitsu's former self. The one she'd known. The Yoshimitsu who was young and wild. She smirked under her mask as she caught up to him.

"Oh, don't worry, old man. I'm not going to hurt anyone," wryly said Kunimitsu as she kicked Yoshimitsu in the calf, causing him to stumble slightly.

"H-Hey!" Yoshimitsu counterattacked with a kick to Kunimitsu's calf, causing her to stumble as well, "I'm warning you, Kunimitsu. Heh. I'm starting to think that you're going to be more trouble than the Black Pheasants."

"At least I'm not trying to kill you." Kunimitsu smiled under her mask as they walked past the peaceful living quarters of the Southern Sector.

"Kunimitsu, the Naming Ceremony will be taking place tonight. I know it will be awkward for you, so you don't have to attend if you don't want to." Yoshimitsu had almost forgotten about the Naming Ceremony, when honored and skilled members of the Manji Clan received their titles.

"The Naming Ceremony, huh? Actually, that might be interesting to see. I haven't seen one for more than twenty years, you know." Kunimitsu gives Yoshimitsu another playful kick as she walks off.

* * *

"_Maiyu namu isu Yoshimitsu_." Yoshimitsu stumbled through the simple phrase, just as determined to learn English as he was determined to learn to fly. 

"That's good," encouraged Harper, "Now, try again. _My name is Yoshimitsu_."

"_Mai nemu is...u... Yoshimitsu_." He sighed, estimating just how difficult this would be. "Almost every word ends in a consonant. It's so harsh and choppy..."

"Don't get discouraged, Master," Harper said with a smile of encouragement, "It'll just take a little time. I mean, you already can get through the alphabet and counting with no problems at all."

Yoshimitsu nodded and looked out the window at the steely sky.

"I think it'll snow today, Master," began Harper, "_I think it will snow."_

Yoshimitsu straightened up, putting all of his effort into it.

"_I think it will... snow." _ He offered himself a little smile underneath his mask at his small triumph over the enigma of the English language.

* * *

After his English lesson with Harper, Yoshimitsu returned to his room to change into the suit that he had planned to wear for the Naming Ceremony. After donning the shining breastplate, he picked up the wide-brimmed hat and put it on, making sure the beads hanging on each side of his oni mask were straight. He looked at himself in the mirror, sighing a little. He remembered the last time he wore this suit, during the second King of Iron Fist Tournament. So long ago… 

Once that was finished, he made his way out of the Main Building and towards the temple in the forest. The same temple where he met Kunimitsu for the first time in twenty years. By the time he got there, the entire Manji Clan was already present and waiting. Yoshimitsu looked around a bit, almost hoping to see Kunimitsu hiding somewhere. Either she was getting very good at concealing herself, or she wasn't there.

"Welcome, Master," greeted Hiroyuki, "Everyone is ready to start."

And so, the Naming Ceremony began. Many Manji ninja were up to be given there honored titles, especially after all of the valor shown during the attack on the Black Pheasants. Yoshimitsu looked at each and every one of them as they lined up to receive their new titles. This brought back memories indeed. He remembered when he was one of the young ninja standing attentively, waiting to receive his new title of leader. That was a fateful day. Among the ninja waiting, Yoshimitsu saw Hiroyuki, of course. Next to him stood Kitsune, gritting her teeth silently at the pain of standing. Noriko, his old and faithful friend, was standing there as well. The previous Yoshimitsu hadn't seen fit to grant Noriko, who was then just as young and wild as the rest of his peers, a new title. Noriko would finally get his dues today.

Just as Yoshimitsu was about to begin, panic suddenly ensnared him.

'The weapons!' he thought, 'Who will be the one to give the renamed Manji Clan members their new weapons?'

It would normally be Yoshimitsu's right hand man, but seeing as Hiroyuki is one of the Manji to be named, Yoshimitsu looked around almost frantically as he stood in front of the waiting crowd.

As if on cue, Kunimitsu appeared from the trees, carrying a wrapped bundle. She took her place next to Yoshimitsu, who was just as surprised as the rest of the Manji Clan.

Kunimitsu was dressed in her usual purple body suit, but instead of her usual byakko mask, she wore an oni mask that only covered the upper half of her face. She smiled slightly at Yoshimitsu, who could now see her lips clearly.

And so, Yoshimitsu began the Naming Ceremony underneath the cold, cloudy sky. He called them up individually and gave them their new title. After that, Kunimitsu would respectfully pass them their new weapon, which they were to take care of with honor. Finally, Yoshimitsu called up his right hand man, Hiroyuki.

Hiroyuki left Kitsune's side and stood in front of Yoshimitsu and Kunimitsu, kneeling before them. Yoshimitsu took a steady breath as he regarded his friend with admiration and pride.

"Hiroyuki, since the moment you entered the Manji Clan, you have been at my side no matter what. Your loyalty is unwavering and strong, and for that I commend you with your new name. Rise at take your place in the Manji Clan, Kawamitsu."

Kawamitsu rose and bowed to Yoshimitsu. He then bowed to Kunimitsu, who handed him a set of throwing daggers. Their hilts were as black as pitch and their blades were silver and sharp. Holding the knives carefully, Kawamitsu stepped away from the front area and stood with the other Manji.

The wind whispered through the bare branches of the trees as Yoshimitsu called out the next Manji ninja. Noriko walked up to Yoshimitsu and knelt before him.

"Noriko, my old friend. You have been in the Manji Clan as long as I have, and I've always been able to count on you. You are brave and wise and the finest comrade anyone could ask for. I am proud to be the one to finally give you your deserved honor. Rise and take your place in the Manji Clan, Morimitsu."

Morimitsu stood up and, after bowing to his master and friend, made his way to Kunimitsu. The two enemies regarded each other for a moment, and then a current of hesitant acceptance passed between the two warriors. Morimitsu saw that Kunimitsu was trying to change by being there. She was taking the risk and she was changing things.

"Kunimitsu," began Morimitsu quietly, "… There was once a time when I saw you as an admirable warrior and comrade. Now, it seems that how I once saw you might be the same as how I see you now."

Kunimitsu was silent for a long while, and then she replied, "Morimitsu, I'll always see you as someone who I wouldn't want to mess with." She smirked and handed him a new sword, which he took gratefully. Morimitsu then bowed to her with genuine approval.

Yoshimitsu kept his eyes on Kunimitsu with interest. It seems so surreal to see her here in the steely light of the winter sky. She looked the same. Exactly the same. She moved with the same grace and conviction that she always had when they would spar so many years ago. And as he watched her intently, his heart suddenly fluttered. He looked away in surprise, wondering why he was still plagued by that same wind-swept fire in his chest. Shaking his head slightly, he continued with ceremony until there was only one more name left.

"Kitsune, come forth," said Yoshimitsu, as he looked at the young kunoichi cautiously.

Kitsune knew that this was the one moment in her life where she had to do things on her own, and so she got to her feet slowly and painfully with no one else's aid. Her thigh was throbbing with pain as she worked her new cybernetic leg with all of it small, moving parts. She took the agonizing steps up to Yoshimitsu and knelt before him.

"Kitsune, you are one of the boldest, strongest warriors I have ever seen. Your zeal is unwavering always. You are straightforward in your conviction and daring in your valor. There is nothing than can stop you from following your heart. Rise and take your place in the Manji Clan, Hiyamitsu."

Gritting her teeth again, Hiyamitsu rose and, after bowing to Yoshimitsu, she agonizingly took her place facing Kunimitsu. Hiyamitsu bowed to the dangerous rogue, and Kunimitsu replied by simply handing Hiyamitsu her new weapon: a sleek and deadly-looking sword, the finest Hiyamitsu has ever seen.

Thus concluded the Naming Ceremony, very solemnly and austere. Then, as if nature herself was willing to celebrate a little, she began to toss little, white confetti. It began to snow.

* * *

Yoshimitsu, in a desperate attempt to sort out his thoughts and feeling, had gone on another ride with Gessekai. It wasn't long, however, before he realized that riding Gessekai through the new snow wasn't going to solve his problems with Kunimitsu. 

And so, once Gessekai was put back in the stables, Yoshimitsu began to make his way back to the Manji Clan Complex. As he walked through the dark, leafless, snow-adorned trees, he came into a clearing and decided that this would be as good a place as any to try to think things over carefully. Dressed in his older suit of armor, with its dark and light embroidery and its bright red plume, he sat down in the middle of the clearing and began to think things over.

'What will I do?' Yoshimitsu asked himself, 'Will I allow her back into the Manji Clan? Will she accept it? Does she want to come back? Can I trust her?'

Despite recent events, Yoshimitsu still felt that small fire. It was like a warning. Kunimitsu is dangerous, it would seem to tell him, and you can't change that. She has tried to kill you and you cannot erase all the years of hatred and jealousy.

Yoshimitsu didn't want to believe that, but- He suddenly stood up, having heard a small noise. He looked around the clearing, peering through the trees with his cyber optics. Almost as if this all was expected, Kunimitsu appeared from her hiding place and confronted Yoshimitsu.

"Yoshimitsu," began Kunimitsu, still dressed in her purple suit and oni mask, "I've been looking for you. You know as well as I that we have unfinished business."

Yoshimitsu took a step back, not wanting this to be happening, but somehow oddly knowing that it was meant to be.

"Kunimitsu, there are other ways. We can work this out in other ways."

Kunimitsu shook her head, pulling out her dagger.

"Yoshimitsu, you can't deny these feelings we have. Twenty years. These resolute feeling that we have, to battle each other, have been building up for twenty years… The only way to go on with our lives is to quell these demons!" With that, Kunimitsu charged at him fiercely.

Yoshimitsu, faster than the blink of an eye, drew his sword and countered Kunimitsu's attack. Sword to dagger, he pushed her back and advanced, slashing with no intention to kill, but to put at bay.

"Kunimitsu, please! Don't do this!"

"Shut up and fight!" Kunimitsu kicked his sword out of the way and took a stab at him. Yoshimitsu dodged with a sidestep and, attempting to trip her, kicked at her feet.

Kunimitsu blocked his low attack and back-flipped to gain more ground. Seeing her on the defense, Yoshimitsu advanced with his sword, slashing at her with lightning speed.

Despite the fact that the two warriors no longer wanted to kill each other, they both fought with the most intensity than they had ever fought with before, each trying to best the other in one final battle.

Kunimitsu blocked every one of Yoshimitsu's attacks and, with a puff of smoke, she disappeared. It took not even a second for Kunimitsu to reappear, coming down on Yoshimitsu from above. Looking up, Yoshimitsu met her dagger with his sword, but the force caused him to fall over on his back.

Using the momentum of the fall and his feet, Yoshimitsu rolled back and kicked Kunimitsu off of him, springing her up into the air over his head. While in the air, Kunimitsu rolled and landed so that she was facing Yoshimitsu.

Yoshimitsu sprang up and, with his back towards Kunimitsu, did a black flip to ward off her offense. Not expecting this, Kunimitsu's arms came in contact with Yoshimitsu's powerful legs, sending her sprawling back.

Arms weak and pulsing with pain, Kunimitsu let out a frustrated cry and charged at Yoshimitsu. Yoshimitsu spun around and avoided her initial attack. However, he did not see her sleek, hungry dagger reach out as it struck him in the side, going through the cloth and leaving a bloody gouge in his side.

Kunimitsu jumped back, both shocked and excited to have made contact. Yoshimitsu let out a small cry of pain, but he held his ground, bracing his sword in his hands as he looked at her, waiting.

Kunimitsu, dagger bared, carefully began to encircle Yoshimitsu, her steps slow and deliberate. Yoshimitsu kept his eyes on her as he followed her movements, shifting so that he was always facing her. His wound stung in the cold air as the snowfall became heavier, covering up the small trickles of blood on the snowy carpet.

Suddenly, Yoshimitsu leaped into the air, letting out a fierce battle cry as he did. Putting his trick wrist to work, he spun his sword in the air and came down with more force than Kunimitsu expected. Breaking through her defenses, his sword came down on hr shoulder. The tip of his blade left a gash in Kunimitsu deep enough to bleed, but not enough to damage her all too bad.

Kunimitsu let out an angry cry and lunged at him again. Not wanting to be beaten back again, Yoshimitsu defended himself with offense, attacking her with a downward, vertical slash. Kunimitsu dropped herself to the ground and, in an instant, she disappeared. However, she soon reappeared, and as she came up, her leg sprang up in a high kick. Her foot made contact with Yoshimitsu's chin, sending him snapping back. As he fell back, his hands reached above his head and, like a spring, he pushed himself forward in an arc. When he feet touched the ground again, he sprang forward fists first. This knocked Kunimitsu back and, soon, Yoshimitsu was on top of her, sword held high as he brought it down with lethal force, as if meant to run her through.

Kunimitsu knocked the deadly sword off course with her dagger and then elbowed Yoshimitsu in the head. Rolling to the side, Yoshimitsu got in his feet in just enough time to defend himself from Kunimitsu, who had leaped up with a kick.

Yoshimitsu crouched and, spinning, slashed at Kunimitsu's legs. Kunimitsu jumped over the singing blade and attempted to kick Yoshimitsu again, who blocked her kick with his free arm. However, as Kunimitsu landed, she got in a quick stab at Yoshimitsu's left shoulder, missing vital organs but drawing more blood.

The two continued to battle for what seemed like an eternity. The snow picked up more and more, but the heavy white blanket was no longer enough to cover all of the spilt blood that grew from their battle. They continued to cut, gouge, slash, and stab at each other until the center of the clearing was spotted with small pools of blood. Their clothes became sticky from the awful, dark liquid, but they miraculously continued to fight.

All of their hatred, love, frustration, and any other feeling that had been tormenting them for twenty years flooded out in this fierce battle, leaving their mind empty. Their movements were all reflex, unwavering and decisive.

Finally, as Kunimitsu was attacking Yoshimitsu with a barrage of lighting-fast slashes, Yoshimitsu caught her hand in his powerful, cybernetic grip. Like a demon, he seemed to become two warriors right in front of her eyes. Kunimitsu, surprised, began to tug viciously, panicked and trying to escape. While one almost transparent Yoshimitsu held onto her dagger arm, the other spun around to her back and, taking her by the shoulders, he did a back bend and threw her back, sending her flying.

Kunimitsu landed hard, but she was far from knocked out. A little stunned, she stood quickly and saw the two Yoshimitsu's become one again. Kunimitsu was amazed out how his skill in the Manji arts have improved to an almost inhuman, frightening level, but that didn't keep her from wanting to fight him.

The two back-flipped until the entire blood-spotted clearing was between them. The snow came down it's heaviest now as the two stared at each other, each drenched in sticky blood.

With no words being spoken, the two bared their weapons with conviction and charged at each other for one final attack. In a flash, the two made contact. It was too fast to see, but soon the two fierce warriors were already passed each other, now facing away.

They stood motionless, waiting to see who was the victor in their duel.

'I got her," thought Yoshimitsu, 'I saw it. I saw my blade pierce her.'

'That was it,' thought Kunimitsu, as the two stared off into the bare trees, 'I hit him. I know I did.'

However, despite her conviction, Kunimitsu let out a loud cry of pain as she felt her latest wound among the many she had. A blinding pain shot up and down her side from the deep gash now there. Knowing that there was no escaping this time, she fell down as the blood rushed out.

Having heard Kunimitsu fall down, confirming his victory, Yoshimitsu stood up straight. However, at that simple movement, his abdomen and chest stung and burned in pain. Placing a hand on his torso, he saw and felt the truth. He may have gotten her, but she got him too. A deep, diagonal cut decorated his chest, making the surrounding skin pulse with unimaginable pain. Yoshimitsu fell to his knees and then toppled over on his side. He was now too weak to even hold his sword, so he let it fall into the snow next to him.

Kunimitsu, holding her side as she lay in the cold snow, let out a rasping breath.

"I knew I… g-got you…!" she coughed roughly, cringing from the pain.

As the two laid there, their lifeblood seeping into the snow, their senses came to. The cold and fatigue finally reached them. Yoshimitsu's breathing became weaker as he finally looked at his status on the heads up display in his cybernetic sights. He saw how both the internal and external temperatures were plummeting, as well as the amount of blood in his body.

The snow began to cover them as they lay dying, and as it did, their souls her finally clear. They both realized that all of those dark feeling from the past twenty years were finally gone, and all that was left was something else. Something warm and pure. The truth of them.

"Kunimitsu…!" Yoshimitsu rolled over to face her as he called out to her. Despite the agony of any movement, he began to claw his way towards her, leaving a streak of blood on the snow.

Kunimitsu's eyes opened and she too moved to face him. Seeing him pull himself towards her so desperately hit somewhere deep inside of her, penetrating her tough barriers. Tears welled up in her eyes as she reached out to him.

"Y-Yoshi… Yoshimitsu!" she too began to crawl towards him weakly.

Soon, the two had reached each other. With grasping hands, Yoshimitsu reached out and held Kunimitsu's face in his hands tenderly. Kunimitsu grasped at his shoulders, pulling herself closer to him. The two held each other crying on the inside and dying on the outside. The unfeeling snow continued to cover them, but nothing external mattered anymore.

It was just them, together. It had always been them. Kunimitsu cried, her face buried in Yoshimitsu's heaving chest as he held her tightly. Their senses began to die from numbness, but that small fire between them was now a roaring inferno.

Accepting their fate, the two warriors closed their eyes and were consumed.

* * *

"Oh thank the heavens," exclaimed Dr. Bosconovich, "He's waking up!" 

Kawamitsu, who had until then been playing with his throwing knives in anxiety, rushed over to the bed where Yoshimitsu and Kunimitsu were lying.

"Master," began Kawamitsu, "Are you alright? We were so worried."

Yoshimitsu blinked, very sore and tired, and he looked around a little. From what he could see, Dr. Bosconovich was standing next to him, as well as Kawamitsu. Morimitsu, his loyal friend was standing on the other side of the bed, letting Hiyamitsu rest against him as she stood with her new leg.

"Wh… What is this?" choked Yoshimitsu, breathing in heavily. He could feel the tight bandages all over his body, covered in a medical gown and blankets.

"Your vital signs began to drop, and the monitor at the lab picked up on it," explained Dr. Bosconovich.

"Luckily," commented Morimitsu, "We were able to reach the two of you in time. We recovered your weapons and brought you here. Any more time spent out there and you two wouldn't have made it."

Yoshimitsu lifted the blankets a little and, much to his relief, saw Kunimitsu sleeping next to him, clinging on to his warmth as she recovered from her own bandaged wounds. Hiyamitsu smiled, remembering what she had told Yoshimitsu the night before the raid on the Black Pheasant Headquarters.

"Looks like all you needed was a little blood transfusion, a few bandages, and you're good as new, Master!" Hiyamitsu said cheerily, "Now get some rest, okay?"

All of the visitors left the room, turning off the lights as they did. Feeling as if the weight of the world was lifted off of him, Yoshimitsu held a sleeping Kunimitsu tightly and fell into a deep sleep.

Oddly enough, life continued on as normal. Yoshimitsu and Kunimitsu were recovered fairly well after a few days and both went about some sort of business on the Manji Clan base.

However, one day, as Yoshimitsu was walking back from the stables, he decided to take an old path. The path was well worn, since it led to a larger road that led into the city, and a little out of the way, but it was nice to take a leisurely stroll and admire the Shinto statues along the way.

As Yoshimitsu walked calmly along, he suddenly saw a figure walking towards him. As the figure came into view more and more, he saw that it was Kunimitsu. She was wearing her normal shirt and pantaloons, and she had a bag slung over her shoulders.

"Kunimitsu, what are you doing out here?" asked Yoshimitsu, but as he looked at her more, he could see her intentions quite clearly.

"I'm leaving," Kunimitsu said plainly, "I'm sorry, but I just can't go back into the Manji Clan. Too much has happened, and everything is okay now, but…" She grins. "It's just not my thing. Besides, I still have some business to finish up with a few friends in the city.

Somehow, he knew this is how it would end, and so Yoshimitsu wasn't all that surprised.

"I understand," he replied, "Good luck, Kunimitsu."

Kunimitsu nodded, and she would have liked to have left it at that, but there was something that she just had to say.

"Yoshimitsu!" began Kunimitsu, a little nervous.

"Yes?" asked Yoshimitsu, a little puzzled at her tone. Kunimitsu paused for the longest time, and then she spoke.

"Please forgive me. Years ago, I didn't have faith in your abilities as a leader. I thought that your kind heart made you weak. For that, I'm sorry, for I now see that it is your kindness that gives you strength. While I was here, I saw how grateful those people are for all that you have done for them. I… I've realized that, maybe… helping those in need is the destiny of the Manji Clan. You've… You've really… shown me a better way to live, and so I will leave this place and start a new life.

"But before I leave, I have just one request… Please remember me. Don't remember me as who I _was_, but remember me as who I _am._ I'm pretty sure we might never see each other again, so our memories are all that we have, right? I… I do not want you to forget."

Behind his mask, Yoshimitsu smiled, amazed at Kunimitsu's honesty. That only made it harder for him to let her go.

"Oh, Kunimitsu…" began Yoshimitsu, taking in a deep breath, "The line between love and hate… The line between love and hate does not exist. There is no great divide to tell you how you feel about someone. For that, you must look deep within your heart. Do not be afraid, Kunimitsu, for when I remember you, I will think of how I truly feel about you… I will never forget."

With that, the two souls continued on their separate ways. As they walked passed each other, Yoshimitsu going to the Manji Clan and Kunimitsu going to her new life, time seemed to stand still, just for one instant. And in that instant, they could feel the eternal bond that would never be broken. They then continued to walk passed each other, neither one daring to look back.

They walked out of each other's lives, out of each other's hatred, and into each other's hearts.

_Amor vincit omnia._


End file.
